A Sign of the Times (c) Jeremy Daniel
Theater: A Sign of the Times
York Theatre at New World Stages
It’s 1965 and jukeboxes are not only filled with catchy, frivolous tunes, but also a couple of social justice songs peppered in for the more politically minded young people of the day. This odd juxtaposition is the point of the new musical, A Sign of the Times, which pairs the more recognizable (from its first few notes) hits with more obscure, serious songs to keep us on our toes. The story by Lindsey Hope Pearlman (from a concept by Richard Robin) revolves around Cindy (Chilina Kennedy), who on the eve of 1965, feels the pull of New York City from the televised Times Square celebration all the way in Centerville, Ohio, strong enough to postpone a marriage proposal from her childhood beau, Matt (Justin Matthew Sargent), to pursue her dream of becoming a photographer. She takes the bus to the Big Apple and becomes roomies with aspiring singer Tanya (Ain’t No Mo’s Tony-nominee Crystal Lucas-Perry) and finds a job in the steno-pool at an advertising company run by Brian Paulson (Ryan Silverman), who takes a liking to Cindy. Meanwhile Tanya starts flirting with Cody Jackson (Akron Lanier Watson), a young freedom rider for Black rights. But Pearlman’s overstuffed book doesn’t stop there; she throws in many issues of the day, including women’s rights, anti-war protests and even a sprinkling of gay rights, all while incorporating songs like Petula Clark’s “Downtown” and Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Were Made for Walking” with Elvis’ “If I Can Dream” and Janis Ian’s “Society’s Child.” Some songs are comfortably and thematically on point like “You Don’t Own Me,” while others, as in many a jukebox musical, feel rather awkwardly gerrymandered to fit.
A Sign of the Times (c) Jeremy Daniel
And while there aren’t many surprises in the script, the game actors keep the familiar plots running smoothly. Kennedy is convincingly naïve and ambitious as Cindy, whom I pegged as a “Marlo Thomas in That Girl” type even before the script confirmed it, while Lucas-Perry consistently steals the show as both the comic relief and the musical’s showiest singer. Director Gabriel Barre threads all the elements skillfully, although the majority of the fun is provided by the hardworking ensemble performing JoAnn M. Hunter’s inventive choreography, which tries to out-Fosse Fosse, even when it’s clearly an adoring “Rich Man’s Frug” homage. A Sign of the Times is handsomely realized by Evan Adamson (sets), Johanna Pan (costumes) and Ken Billington (lighting). The audience bounces along to the songs while occasionally applauding the social messages of the 1960s, which unfortunately still feels relevant for our modern times. Perfectly ensconced off-Broadway, the show is targeting Boomer nostalgia, but its universal message should appeal to everyone.
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The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers (c) Russ Rowland
Theater: The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers
At New World Stages
The “slime” in the title of Marc Summers’ autobiographical new play will be obvious to the Gen Y members of the audience, who all gleefully signed up (and signed waivers) to participate in the show. For the rest of us, director Chad Rabinovitz provides a refresher pre-show video in which we see Marc Summers’ enduring legacy of hosting the Nickelodeon game show Double Dare in which players (mostly pre-teen kids) are asked to do physical challenges that usually include getting drenched in food items and the aforementioned slime. What is not evident in the script by Alex Brightman (the Tony-nominated actor of School of Rock and Beetlejuice) at the start of the show, which begins with a challenge by game audience players, is that Summers’ story takes some dark turns, which feels incongruent to the likable public persona moments. And that’s the point. Rare is the celebrity story that isn’t filled with trials and tribulations, not just in a career trajectory way, but also in a personal way. In Summers’ case, it’s a would-be debilitating psychological disorder and some physical challenges as well. And like many one-person shows, going through all those moments in one’s life seven times a week seems more sadistic than cathartic as most performers claim, but Summers seems to be able to balance the showmanship with the personal drama admirably and confidently. He’s a genuinely amiable presence on stage, which is probably why his difficult personal narrative hits so much harder.
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The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers (c) Russ Rowland
During the Double Dare moments, which is ably recreated by set designer Christopher Rhoton and is, of course, the biggest draw of the show, Summers is aided by stage assistants who not only help with the challenges but also occasionally join him to dramatize the autobiographical moments. The play, which includes a few wistful songs by Brightman and his frequent collaborator, composer Drew Gasparini, gives equal time to both parts of Summers’ story, which may not fully satisfy die-hard fans who only want the glitz or off-Broadway theatergoers who crave the drama. I admired how brave the approach felt. It doesn’t minimize Summers’ struggles, but it doesn’t wallow in it either. I know Summers mostly for his later persona on the Food Network as the host of the TV show, Unwrapped, where he takes iconic food products and gives us a peek behind the scenes in their creation. In a way, a better title for the show would have been Marc Summers: Unwrapped. But then we wouldn’t have the slime. And nobody wants that.
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