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A CurtainUp Review
What's it All About? Bacharach Reimagined
Kudos to Christine Jones and Brett Banakis who designed a curiously quaint setting. It's worth arriving a bit early just to look at the rugs covering the theater walls, remindful of a late '60's smoky basement. Sofas along the sides offer seats to a few audience members, guitars hang on the back wall and two loveseats are perched high on either side with vintage lamps scattered around the floor. After a short introduction by singer/guitarist/arranger Kyle Riabko ( Spring Awakening ), it's nonstop songs— recognizable but rejuvenated with folk, soft rock and hip hop updates, and mostly set in streamlined vignettes. Director Steven Hoggett ( Once ) keeps things fluid with two revolving platforms and creative vocal and instrumental transitions. The 20-something cast is precisely stylized in their moves and positions, pushing sofas and instruments around the stage and positioning themselves for the next song. At the top of the show, the darkened theater is filled with a full-volume piano pasticcio of classics and jazz, rising and racing until stage lamps slowly flicker on and Kyle Riabko is on stage. After a few signature rhythmic chords, his gentle "Anyone Who Had a Heart" draws the other six players and singers one at a time from the sides, back and various sofas. The look is '60's or '70's but the sound is today. Two vague love stories evolve, mostly through pairing and mixing songs. Outstanding are "Message to Michael," "On My Own" and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" — gassed up and ready to go. Most songs are deconstructed, reassembled and highlighted with interspersed theme tags like the recurring "What's It All About?" and "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head." An electric guitar pokes in with "When you get caught between the moon and New York City" ( Arthur ). One creative segment begins as Riabko lovingly enfolds Laura Dreyfus in his arms as he strums his guitar, followed by the unplugged ensemble, cynically wondering, "What's It All About?" Always evident is the Bacharach touch of unusual phrasing, syncopated rhythms and jazz harmonies. The project was conceived by musical director and arranger Riabko with David Lane Selter. Riabko has a light voice (used especially effectively in his soulful "A House is Not a Home") and strong guitar chops. He is undeniably the head man of the skilled ensemble. Those not mentioned earlier include Daniel Bailen on bass, James Nathan Hopkins on keyboards, guitarist. Daniel Woods and James Williams on percussion. The females, Dreyfuss ( Once ) and Nathaly Lopez, are main vocalists. Lopez gives one of the more powerful vocal renditions with "Don't Make Me Over." Adding to the atmospheric scenic design, lighting designer Japhy Weideman enlivens and rejuvenates the Bacharach music while sound effects by Clive Goodwin add drama to the ballads and theatricality and humor to the more upbeat tunes. The cast is casually dressed in Andrea Lauer's young vintage look. While I hoped they would not end the show with the obvious salute to friendship, "What The World Needs Now is Love," that's just what they do in an energetic mash-up. Then, surprise! A quick return for a fresh and quirky "What's New, Pussycat?" But wait. . . the show is still not over. As the audience exits the theater they are greeted on the street with the cast strumming ukeleles to the lilting "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," a delight for everyone, including passer-bys. This is a show that's ideally set in this small theater. The energy and intimacy achieved inside and outside New York Theatre Workshop makes the production as special as the reinvigorating of some of the most popular hit songs of the era.
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