Review #1: The Great American Race

Hilary Chadwick states early on in "The Great American Race", one of three musicals that were work shopped this year in the Goodspeed Festival of New Artists," Street driven is different." I translated that into meaning that this show was normal, well developed, witty, or maybe just something that was cute. However, "The Great American Race" with lyrics, music, and book by Patrick Barry none of these are really options. The show zoomed around the idea of Dale Earnhardt Jr. being somebody that an audience could connect with, but Dale with two wives and three kids, none of who he actually cares about, is not exactly easy to connect with in anyway.

I appreciate the fact that the musical is trying to discuss a subject that is masculine, unique, and could possibly bring a new NASCAR audience to the theater. However, as a friend poignantly pointed out, NASCAR fans aren't theater fans, and that won't be changing anytime soon. Do you really see a bunch of NASCAR fans from South Carolina or Tennessee running to the Goodspeed Opear House or any theater for that matter to see the new NASCAR show?

The cast was made up of one equity actor, Adam Monley, once a member of the "Mamma Mia!"cast, one Hartt School Instructor, two children, and fourteen Hartt School Senior Musical Theater Majors. At this moment, I am trying to figure out who was good. Oh, hold on, the 10 to 12 year old boy, Julian Miyta. Adam Monley failed to connect with the audience or the character, Mike Morris, the Hartt School Instructor completely surprised me with what seemed like a lack of vocal training, and only three Hartt School students stood out, Hilary Chadwick, Jacob Ottosen, and Robert Devlin.

Chadwick was the one amusing female voice. Jacob Ottosen was probably the most energetic and alive of any character onstage, minus Miyta. Devlin seemed to have some emotion and some connection with the character. Now, it must be understood that this was a scripted reading, and is an earlier step in the process of this new work.

There were some cute songs. The two children sing a rather adorable song called "Daddy", the ensemble comes together to sing the one song with some potential "The Great American race", Oh and the most clever moment of the show in my mind was at the end of "Don't Hang Your Hat on Me" when Monley does a cute little turn and places his hat on the top of Hartt student, Blythe Evans, head after the pianist Paul Feyer has scaled the piano.

With a book that needs major reworking, a lack of connection to a very distant character, and the up hill battle that the show would face to find an audience, I am trying to see the shows future up that hill. However, the vehicle that this show hopes to be lacks gas, passengers, and a steering wheel. I don't see it racing it's way onto any other stage anytime soon.

"The Great American Race" - Goodspeed Opera House - Goodspeed Festival of New Artists - January 19, 2007