Presented by 4Panel Productions and 3mb Productions as part of the seventh annual International Fringe Festival at Teatro La Tea, 107 Suffolk St., NYC, Aug. 9-24.
This portrayal of the true tale of Providence, R.I.'s longtime mayor, who is currently doing time, is entertaining and slick. It has the potential to be worked into a production that can go bigger.
The musical numbers (music and lyrics by Mike Tarantino; book and lyrics by Jonathan Van Gieson) are witty. The ensemble—portraying many roles, including ordinary citizens who think Buddy's corrupt, but don't care—glides smoothly between characters, scenes, and numbers. Director Dean Strober and musical director James Busby have coordinated the show well.
David Stern has strong stage presence as Buddy. We hear from the press (Ron Williams), the narrator (Michael H. Johnson), and the citizens that many people love Buddy (though some hate him). We know that in real life, Cianci was re-elected and that there have been many such leaders—sinners forgiven because they're charmers who've risen from the ranks of "the people" and do accomplish a lot.
But we don't see that charm here. We see workaholic Buddy's naked ambition to be mayor, his neglect of his wife, and his perpetual campaigning. He does work hard to transform "the armpit of New England" to "divine Providence," but does whatever it takes—payoffs, threats—to get his way. He's peeved that the elite Brown University crowd rejects him. It's all done comedically, with a "what-a-rogue" wink, but we rarely see Buddy relate in any way other than scheming. Fleshing out his character would strengthen the show.
Michelle Lookadoo is charming as wife Nancy Ann ("cianciancian," one of many cute lyrics) and girlfriend Wendy. Spencer Rowe and Garth T. Mark are cartoonish as the henchmen, but more real in other roles, as is Loris Diran, whose accent when playing Freitas, the informant, wavers between Italian and Cuban.
It's a fun show—hopefully a work in progress.