Photo Source: Mathew Murphy
The show centers on 12-year-old Manfred, whose father has been killed in war and who cannot accept his mother's remarriage and a caring stepfather. Assigned in school to write about war's history, the boy conjures up seven malevolent war-makers from the past and present. In his imagination, they have convened to divvy up the world and take Manfred under their wing. They're also a delightfully talented bunch of song-and-dance men. A spastic Julius Caesar (Paul Kandel) croons about being a sensitive guy. Hitler (Christopher Gurr) stops ranting to sing about his artistic nature. Osama bin Laden (William Michals) has a jolly tune about playing hide-and-seek and still being seen on television. Alexander the Great (Max von Essen), Genghis Kahn (Herman Sebek), Napoleon (Jason Kravits), and Idi Amin (Eric Poindexter) have turns in the spotlight as well, and all seven frequently come together for terrific ensemble work. They handle the ear-filling, Sondheim-like score—with its insistent rhythms, unconventional melody lines, occasional pastiche, and intelligent if sometimes forced lyrics—with great aplomb.
Zien's script also gives them lively banter as egos and reputations clash. Yet even as these men entertain us, the proceedings fail to resonate fully with the deep evil of their deeds. The grimmer realities of war get a nod in brief vignettes in which two ground soldiers in various eras talk about the perils facing them. But these interludes seem perfunctory. Most crucially, the Manfred framework registers more as device than compelling drama, although young Michael D'Addario gamely portrays the boy's rage and mounting confusion, and Sophie Hayden and Jim Walton are a sympathetic pair of parents.
In a program note, director Nick Corley thanks the New York Musical Theatre Festival for "including our show, at this early stage of development." Hopefully, this promising musical's history will be extended and further strengthened along the way. Anti-war messages are old news, true, but unfortunately they're not out of style.
Presented by HOWMusical and DiStar Productions/Diana Glazer as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival at the American Theatre of Actors, 314 W. 54th St., NYC. Oct. 8–16. Remaining performances: Tue., Oct. 12, 8 p.m.; Fri., Oct. 15, 7 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 16, 1 and 5 p.m. (212) 352-3101, (866) 811-4111, or www.nymf.org.