(Production photo by Meredith Longo)

by Tim Leininger

WEST HARTFORD — It’s a hot time at Playhouse on Park as the regional theater has assembled a spicy ensemble for a night of excess and erotic drama with their production of Andrew Lippa’s rendition of The Wild Party with book, music, and lyrics by Lippa, based on the poem by Joseph Moncure March, directed by Sean Harris, choreographed by Darlene Zoller, running through Aug. 16 at the playhouse at 244 Park Road.

            There are two versions of The Wild Party out there. There’s the Michael John LaChiusa version and the Andrew Lippa version. The plot is essentially the same. Queenie (Mollie Downes) is an eccentric flapper of the 1920s. She’s dating Burrs (Trevor Bunce), a vaudevillian clown, who has a torrid temper. Unwilling to give up the lurid, passionate love life the two share, Queenie attempts to revitalize the relationship by throwing a party, with a colorful cast of characters. When Kate (Maddi Bowman) shows up with her escort for the night, Black (Cory Simmons), Queenie locks in on Black as a way to get Burrs jealous and bring some erotic tension back to their romance. Kate and Burrs make moves on each other as well. This all leads to an inevitable confrontation that ends in tragedy.

(Production photo by Meredith Longo)

            There are pluses and minuses to both versions. Though I find Lippa’s version more memorable musically — it has a style that feels like Kander and Ebb without the Prozac. It’s bluesy, seductive, and diabolically dark. The problem with Lippa’s version is that the colorful array of supporting characters have absolutely no development. LaChiusa’s version takes time to develop the story for the supporting characters, like Oscar (Gavin Leahy) and Phil (Elijah Martinez), who are looking to get their new musical financed by a producer at the party. There’s Madelaine True (Kathleen Cameron), Jackie (Joseph Rafael Davila, Mae (Lily Bucko) and a host of other characters which are relegated to essentially chorus characters here.

The four leads, though, get their moment to shine, especially in the second act — Playhouse chose to forgo an intermission, keeping it at a taut hour and 50 minutes. This is probably for the better, because I was disengaging from the show because of how unappealing the four characters were written until Bowman blew me away with her rendition of “The Life of the Party.” It was amazing and brought a whole new energy to the show. This is immediately followed up by Downes great performance of “Who Is This Man?” The most consistently engaging performance comes from Bunce, a casting choice that I initially found curious, as he’s not the most handsome Burrs I’ve seen, but I quickly embraced the slovenly depiction of this greasy, long-haired, unkempt, and uncouth heathen of a man. It’s gritty, slovenly, and I believe all the way through the show that he’s an abusive, horrible human being.

(Production photo by Meredith Longo)

The performers, unfortunately, work better individually than together. I didn’t believe Queenie’s love for Black for one moment. An attachment that is already hard to write off as they meet earlier in the night of the party. Burrs and Kate’s affair is more reasonable to understand as they’re just there for the pleasure of it all. Also, there’s the narrative of hypocrisy that’s overlooked as Burrs is insanely jealous of anyone touching Queenie, while he is doing his own thing at the party. This is all a problem from Lippa’s book, not the production by Playhouse on Park.

Zoller’s choreography is seedy and erotic, bumping and grinding with a swing attitude. It feels appropriately — and intended to be so — messy as the characters are all high as a kite on cocaine and horrendously drunk, writhing about, never quite in sync with each other, but still in fashion with the music. It may seem sloppy, but it works perfectly with the characters and where they are at.

(Production photo by Meredith Longo)

Credit is due to Matt Weisgable’s lighting design, who expertly keeps the more erotic moments in the show like the orgy at the end (there’s no nudity in the show, but plenty of scantly clad individuals) subdued for those who may have trouble watching such activities happen right in front of them. Micah Ohno’s costumes are delightfully sexy, and whomever handles the makeup did an excellent job, especially for Bowman as Kate, whose make up smears more and more as she becomes a larger mess throughout the show.

Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party has its problems. The supporting characters are underdeveloped, and the leads are mostly unlikable and self-serving. But, there are some great moments, particularly by the leads when they have a solo to show off their talents. Zoller’s dancing is properly improper, and the design helps capture the seedy world that these people live in. The Wild Party isn’t for everyone, but if you want a properly decadent night of debauchery, you should have a good time.

TICKETS: https://www.playhouseonpark.org/

PRODUCTION

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa; Based on the Poem by Joseph Moncure March; Partially Developed and Received Readings at The O’Neill Theater Center during the 1997 National Music Theatre Conference; Originally Produced in New York City by The Manhattan Theatre Club; Director: Sean Harris; Music Director: Colin Britt; Choreographer: Darlene Zoller; Scenic Designer: Kim Zhou; Costume Designer: Micah Ohno; Lighting Designer: Matt Weisgable; Sound Designer: Emilee Biles; Props & Set Dressing: Kyla Madore; Intimacy Director: Dr. Kathryn Moncrief; Production Stage Manager: Rebecca Donaghy

CAST

Mollie Downes as Queenie

Trevor Bunce as Burrs

Cory Simmons as Black

Maddi Bowman as Kate

Kathleen Cameron as Madelaine True

Caleb Barton as Eddie

Lily Bucko as Mae

Elijah Martinez as Phil

Gavin Leahy as Oscar

Julia Solecki as Dolores

Joseph Rafael Davila as Jackie

Kenneth Galm as Sam

Sophia Cantin as Nadine

Kate Glennon as Reno