Photo Source: Michael Portantiere
Written by Scott Burkell (book and lyrics) and Paul Loesel (music), this amiable and unthreatening show follows six typical 30-something New Yorkers over a period of months after a single event threatens to destroy their friendship, before ending with the bromide that what matters in life is an ordinary day spent with one's friends.
While there's nothing wrong with extolling the quotidian aspects of existence—it's a tradition that extends to the dawn of poetry—musical theater writers tackling this commonplace theme need to do so in an extraordinary manner, utilizing, for example, a crackling story peopled by surprising, full-blooded characters. Otherwise, they risk creating a show as lukewarm and faint-hearted as this one.
It's unfortunate because "The Extraordinary Ordinary" is brightly performed, smartly directed, and quite well crafted. Burkell and Loesel possess a plenitude of talent. Burkell's rhymes are deliciously precise, a rarity in these days of waning lyric-writing standards, and Loesel's knack for sustaining a song's interest and drive over long stretches is admirable.
The problem—and it's a common one in contemporary musical theater—is that the authors have mistaken craftsmanship for entertainment. For example, the first two songs are exemplars of how to establish a situation and introduce characters in musical theater recitative (wretched-tative, as some call it). The first red-hot songs, however, don't arrive until the second act, far too late to warm up the tepid bathwater. Beyond being poor dramaturgical strategy, this is an almost criminal waste of the musical theater's most powerful weapon, a character singing his or her heart out.
The people Burkell has created don't help, because they're too bland to elicit anger, tears, or guffaws. Karen is the highly competent but agonizingly single pal. Kate is the kook with a wise streak. Bev and Zach are the married couple with problems. Sam is the gay member of the quintet, and Joey is his much younger lover.
The turning point of the show, and its first real moment of drama, doesn't occur until the end of Act 1, when Sam kisses Zach. This initiates a series of confrontations in which long-buried resentments among the quintet come to the surface. I understand that a dislodged pebble can trigger a landslide, but having a man-to-man peck throw six presumably smart and aware New Yorkers into a tizzy seems overstated and rather silly.
Director Chip Klose keeps the pace crisp, a necessity in a show where not much happens. The cast wring every iota of humor and likableness out of their characters, and their splendid singing is a joy to hear. Courtney Balan, as Karen, must be singled out for her comedic skills and her ability to find depth in a role that could easily generate a one-note portrayal. Lynne Shankel's five-instrument orchestrations fill the Clurman with needed color and variety. Kurt Alger's costumes do the same in an understated manner.
Burkell and Loesel have been canny not to follow the trend of shrinking musicals into 90-minute one-acts. At that length, I would not have hung around the appealing actors long enough to adopt them and invest in their characters' slim dilemmas. By the two-hour mark, however, that's just what happened. So if you buy a ticket to "The Extraordinary Ordinary," stick around for the second act or you'll miss the show's modest but sincere payoff.
Presented by Dreamlight Theatre Company, in association with Third Coast Creative, at the Clurman Theatre, 410 W. 42nd St., NYC. Dec. 1–18. Mon.–Wed., 7 p.m.; Thu. and Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 8 p.m. (No performances Sat., Dec. 4.) (212) 239-6200, (800) 432-7250, or www.telecharge.com. Casting by Joy Dewing for Dave Clemmons Casting.