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Life Could Be a Dream (Review)

Life Could Be a Dream (Review)

Life Could Be a Dream (Review)

THE PLAY: Four guys in a basement dream of forming a singing group to win a talent contest. Toss in a girl for a bit of romantic conflict and you have an excuse for a series of songs from the doo-wop era.

 

THE PRODUCTION: Jukebox musicals require one basic element: quality voices. Luckily, this cast can boast five top-quality singers. They manage to deliver the mindless dialogue and silly business with energy and commitment. Ryan Lynch adds a standout comic characterization. Director Dennis J. Clark helps disguise the flimsiness of the play with perky pacing, but his choreography is all over the place, literally. Sometimes it’s pedestrian, sometimes repetitive, sometimes peculiar and sometimes just confusing. The big finale is disappointing because the staging is sloppy and Paul Deiss’s excellent live band gets muffled by the extra curtain. Tom Width’s set serves the purpose and Joe Doran’s lights add focus without a follow spot.

 

THE POINT: The energetic commitment of these top-quality singers helps disguise the fact that this is a mindless framework for fun doo-wop.

 

At Swift Creek Mill Theatre thru 4/19.