John and Jen simple, warm and heartfelt (January 27, 2006)
Richard Ouzounian
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
This musical by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald has no special effects, cast of thousands or over-hyped advance. It's a quiet piece, performed by two actors on a nearly bare stage. But if you think that means it doesn't have the power to entrance you, then you'd be very wrong.
There's something wonderful about returning the musical theatre to an art form that tells stories about real people with real emotions. Yes, you might say
John and Jen is old-fashioned in that sense, but it also isn't afraid to address personal and political issues that are still very relevant today...
Lippa's music is wonderfully deceptive. It hums along with simple, memorable melodies but then dives into complex recapitulations and counterpoints that keep the ear alert. And Greenwald's lyrics, although occasionally simplistic, know how to get inside the skins of these spiky but loveable people.
But the real joy of the evening rests with the actors. Stephanie Roth manages to keep Jen from seeming the righteous pill she could have turned into, offering us instead a woman who manages constantly to feel the right emotion at the wrong time. Her voice is rich and true, her sensitivity is splendid.
Kyle Blair has the admittedly showier role of John and goes to town with it. Blair has the uncanny knack of managing to be childlike without ever seeming childish. His eyes can go from hopeful to hurt in an instant, while the smile underneath slowly melts like a snowflake in the sun.
But give him a comedy moment (like the scene in Act II where young John heads off to summer camp for the first time) and he knows how to make it soar. With the help of the cleverly minimalist choreography of Marc Kimelman, Blair lights up the stage with sheer performing energy.
And when he opens up in song, it's a joy just to sit there and listen.
Michael Jones has directed in straight-ahead fashion and the three-piece band led by Wayne Gwillim plays with distinction. The show is not much to look at, but that's not what you come to an evening like this for.
John and Jen is a musical unafraid to show its feelings and it's made for an audience unafraid to accept them. If that sounds like you, then I suggest you pay it a visit.