Since no one else seems to really care about reviewing community theater productions in this town anymore, and the icons of actual newspapers who once did, (those of us who are old enough to remember them) have either retired or sadly passed on, I think I will give it a try. I realize it’s going to be an occasional conflict of interest for me, but I don’t care. I’m not doing this for a paycheck and I certainly don’t plan on seeing every single show in town, I don’t have the time or money for that.
Any of the dozen or so people who end up reading this anyway, you should know that I don’t plan on EVER shredding anyone, company or actor, for their performance, so if that’s what you came here to see – forget it. This and all others going forward, will be a mostly positive review. This is Syracuse after all, not Broadway. And we all have day jobs.
So here we go:
I’m going to go ahead and assume most of you have seen the 1989 Winona Ryder/Christian Slater film Heathers. Not that you necessarily have to for this production to be entertaining for you, any working knowledge of 80’s and early 90s high school lore will be enough background for you. Heck, a slight traumatic memory of high school PERIOD ought to just about do it honestly. Sadly! But if you are a Gen-Xer like me, you are likely to get the most out of these lyrics that are just STUFFED full of 80’s references. There were multiple times last night in the theatre when I found myself laughing right out loud and being quite alone in doing it! For example: Heather Chandler referring to new kid JD as “Red Dawn” or Veronica singing that she would use her self-defense move “Sweep the Leg” to take out an unwanted advancing guy. And later in the evening needing to explain BOTH of those references to two younger cast members was simply delightful!
And my god that cast! It is enormous! Which in this day and age, here in Syracuse, is downright impressive. As a director and choreographer, myself, one of my biggest fears is casting an ensemble. Finding, sometimes begging, performers to join an ensemble these last days can be daunting. Kudos to director Dana Comfort for assembling such a huge array of performers, to Erica Moser for the crystal-clear sound they produced, because I understood every single word from the back of the house, and to choreographer Jonathan Benn for getting that many kids to do 80’s moves I haven’t seen in a LONG time!
Maddie Deshaies as Veronica is so impressive, I had a hard time not giving her a standing ovation in the middle of one of several of her musical numbers. I saw her in CNYP’s the Addam’s Family a couple of years ago and I remember being blown away then. But her Veronica is on a whole other level. Her partner in reluctant crime is JD played brilliantly by Chris Toia. He has the exact right amount of Judd Nelson/John Bender-ness about him to make you completely understand why Veronica is TOTALLY into him. Christian Slater in the ’89 film was dangerously close to slipping into a Jack Nicholson impression for me to ever believe he wasn’t crazy. Toia’s JD is kinder, and vocally he is keeping up with Deshaies. Even in such a tough space as our beloved Atonement basement, these two are blending beautifully.
Haley Georgia, Kiara Rice and Michele Lindor as the Heathers are gorgeous, intimidating princesses. (Nice touch having Heather Chandler and Kurt Kelly sell snacks at the top of the show, insulting guests as they came in the door) Spoilers ahead: Haley as the red Heather, the first to bite the dust, remains lurking in the background throughout the remainder of the show, floating about hilariously in a filmy robe, is a riot. She is so imposing, towering over poor Veronica, it seems as though she could not possibly stand up to her. She is unexpectedly Veronica’s conscious after her death, and these moments were my favorites of hers. Kiara as the yellow Heather (The sweet one. Think poor silly Karen in Mean Girls) has the least to do of the three Heathers, but when she finally gets her moment with the song “Lifeboat” mid act two, she wrenches everything she can out of it. The audience on opening night was silenced by her performance. Simply beautiful. And finally, Michele Lindor as the green Heather (who eventually takes over the red hole left by Chandler) has the biggest arc of the three. Starting out as a mousy mess, puking in the corner and taking crap from Heather Chandler, once Chandler is dead, the bulimia ends, the hair goes up in a red scrunchie swiped from red Heather’s locker and BOOM, Heather Duke becomes everything Heather Chandler was and worse. Lindor is wicked as she stalks the stage, far more evil than the original red Heather ever dreamed, whipping up her crowd of worshipping classmates, picking off weaker students left and right, eventually even turning on yellow Heather!
The cast’s supporting players are just as fantastic as the leads! Two of my favorite people on the planet (no favoritism at all here) Chris Lupia and T.J. Cravens play big dumb jocks Ram and Kurt. Any worry these two men had about appearing too old to play high school A-holes can go right out the window. They are perfection. Emily Harrington as Martha is the exact amount of pitiful and sweet that she needs to be. She might be the most “real” character in the show. Every single person in the audience can probably identify with Martha at some point in the evening.
I cannot imagine what it must be like for the three “adults” in this show backstage. But onstage they are stealing the scenes they are in. Kathy Egloff, channeling Ms. Darbus from High School Musical, here is Ms. Flemming, playing psychologist with zero credentials and working hard to get the students to “Shine a Light” on their fears. Our two dads, played by Adam Fumarola and Jim Sharples, I have never seen on the CNYP stage before and are simply delightful! Their revelation about their “Dead Gay Sons” in an entire song, was not just hilarious but far more heartwarming than I would have expected it to be.
By my count there are a solid fifteen ensemble members working on the stage at the Atonement church basement. Which as I’ve said, was a surprise to me. Many of them were not only familiar but have themselves played leads before. They sounded and looked great. This is a show I have only seen once before and not one I listen to ever, and I understood virtually every word.
- A heads up on a few items: The show is on the longer side. By no means does it move slowly. But it is two acts, and it is a solid length. So safety pee before you find your seat.
- Bring cash for snacks and raffles! Everything is $1
- Remember that this Theatre is DOWNSTAIRS. But it does have elevator access!
- You are going to have to forgive the sound. It is a live show, and everyone is doing the best they can. In a basement. Like I said, I heard everything, and my hearing is not good. Get over it.
Heathers is playing at The Atonement Lutheran Church/116 W. Glen Ave, Syracuse, NY
- Friday, July 21st @7
- Saturday,y July 22nd @7
- Sunday, July 23rd @2
- Thursday, July 27th @7
- Friday, July 28th @7
- Saturday, July 29th @7
