Finally, a musical revue even Stuart Smalley can love.
“Party of 1” lets the maritally challenged know they are good enough, smart enough and doggone it, one day some poor, pathetic person might actually even like them. Might.
Completing its third month, “Party of 1” has brought a surprising buzz not evident at the Playwright Theatre since 2002, when it was the old Avenue Theater. A swank cocktail bar about 4 feet from the stage may have something to do with that.
First, the inevitable comparisons to “I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change,” the mother of all relationship musicals, which has inspired so many copycats like “Party of 1”: Both sport two-guy, two-girl casts who sing and dance about the foibles of hooking up. They appeal to identical audiences, with one slight difference: Married couples didn’t look nearly so smug attending “LPC.”
The primary difference is that while “LPC” relied more on its superior sketch comedy, “Party of 1” leans more toward the traditional musical revue, with more songs and fewer comic bits. And while Joe DiPietro’s “LPC” music had an accessible everyman quality to it, Morris Bobrow’s “Party of 1” is more in the formal Sondheim-Schwartz family of musical-theater tunes.
The problem with any show about relationships is straddling that fine line between the clichéd and the universal. The material must be obvious enough that someone will blurt out, “That’s so true!” about every 10 seconds, but not so familiar as to be unsurprising.
“Party of 1” has plenty of both, but a raucous, near-capacity crowd last Saturday was eating up everything director Brian Thompson’s top-notch ensemble of Chris Bogert, Megan Van de Hey, Kevin Tobias Brown and Tara Szabo had to offer. These are four fine singers and pretty decent comic actors. Their material ranges from very clever to eye-rolling.
The fresh stuff includes Bogert’s “Not Like I Used to Be,” a 43-year-old’s lament that everyone from his priest to his sports heroes are now younger than him; “Wedding,” a skit in which the minister turns out to be the bride’s old flame; and a very funny tribute to James Buchanan, the only U.S. president who entered and left the White House as a bachelor.
The tried is plentiful as well: It’s no surprise that guys don’t call when they say they will, they don’t talk about their feelings, and they don’t stock melon-ballers in their kitchens. It’s also no shocker that insemination lacks a certain romance, and that divorce and moving in together are equally messy.
One skit, in which two busy youngsters have difficulty making time for a date, is so reminiscent of “LPC” as to be a rip-off. And there is an inevitable yet brief foray into the poignant.
Now, when you see a song titled “I Love Myself” in the program, you might assume there should be a third category here – insufferable self-actualization. But think about that title in another way. Riiiiight. The song, which brings new meaning to “Party of 1,” is actually the comic highlight. The next song, “Living My Life,” takes care of the treacly quotient.
My sense watching “Party of 1” is that any performance is likely as good as the size of its audience. It’s probably not as fun with 30 self-conscious people in the house as it is with 90. When it is nearly full, as it was Saturday, a feeling of happiness washes over the place. These are couples and friends meeting up at the early start time of 7:30 p.m. for a quick song and dance, with plenty of time left when it’s over to hit some other weekend amusement.
You’ll hear people calling it “cute” while exiting, and it won’t sound nearly as condescending as it usually does.
That’s just fine. There should be more offerings like “Party of 1” that make everyday folks feel comfortable in the theater, where they can have a drink and a laugh. It won’t challenge you intellectually, but you’ll have a giggle, it’s over in a blink, and if you happen to be single, you just might feel a bit better about your sorry lot.
Theater critic John Moore can be reached at 303-820-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com.
*** | “Party of 1”
MUSICAL REVUE|Playwright Theatre, 2119 E. 17th Ave.|Written by Morris Bobrow|Directed by Brian Thompson|Starring Chris Bogert, Kevin Brown, Megan Van de Hey and Tara Szabo|THROUGH FEB. 25|7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays|1 hour, 40 minutes| $15-$25|303-499-0383
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“SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES” Theatre Group stages Del Shores’ play following the lives of four young gay men in Dallas, where the narrator tries tries to create a world of love and acceptance. 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and every first Thursday through April 15 at Theatre on Broadway, 13 S. Broadway. $22 (303-777-3292 or theatregroup.org.
“PRELUDE TO A KISS” In Craig Lucas’ romantic comedy, ordinary guy Peter falls in love with Rita. Theirs appears to be the perfect love story until an uninvited guest appears at the wedding reception. Presented by the Longmont Theatre Company, 513 Main St. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 11. $13-$15 (303-772-5200 or longmonttheatre.org).
“FIDDLER ON THE ROOF” Carousel Dinner Theatre brings Tevya the dairyman back to life in a setting inspired by Marc Chagall’s colorful folk artl. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through April 1 (dinner 90 minutes prior) at 3509 S. Mason St., Fort Collins. “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” plays in repertory at 7:30 p.m. Sundays only. $34-$38 (970-225-2555).
-John Moore
