No More Waiting: A New Musical Comedy

Musical Comedy With Legs and Arms Reaching

by Jesse Schmitt

There is definitely something to be said for a good ending.

In cinematic art, in television, in politics, in real life, and especially in the theatre, when there are unexpected, harmonious chords struck around the resolution to a situation, it is a gentle reminder of the true synthesis of life. Despite the fact that we’re all on this earth, searching, roving, digging, trolling, turning up the bottom feeding scum of said planet, in the hunt for that ever illusive intangible called “happiness,” or “fulfillment,” or whatever else; when there is a collective exhale of the crowd, when you can turn to your best friend of years and share an unspoken acknowledgement, when your pending doomsday ends up coming up roses of its own volition, there is that moment when the individual is reminded that the world does not always have to be such a predictably unfair or callously unfamiliar place.

So it is in the new show playing at The 13th Street Repertory Company (50 W 13th St. New York, NY – 212-675-6677) “No More Waiting,” which follows the lives of five waiter/actors as they seize opportunity when it is afforded them at the cabaret style venue where they serve. The talent for the evening has been stricken and the wait staff, through the coxing-cheerleading of one of their own, rises up and briefly overthrows the mantle of control for what the audience will see this night.

This is a show which may obscure some who are not at all familiar with the life of the New York City theatrical artist. While not too many passers by frequent the very local, Greenwich Village establishment (13th St. Rep is a destination, generally), the “in-talk” and some of the more subtle themes did not go unnoticed.

Many of the leaps the audience is asked to take with these performers are fantastical, exaggerated, or outrageous. For example, not that it hasn’t happened at cabaret style venues in the past, but the premise that the management of a dining/entertainment establishment would go off notice of what was going on at their business and five of their staff would go off the service floor for more than an hour is something of a cut at restaurant management of the world and not altogether likely. I’m sure I will get replies to my inbox, “this happens to me all the time!” – I’m just saying. Also the quickness with which Samantha (Jenny Paul), the Che Guevara of the group, is able to throw together costumes and such is a little far fetched. For that matter, their piano player was right in lock step with them, making the transition from non English speaking bus-boy to virtuoso musical theatre pianist at the drop of a hat (even thought they qualify the latter). However if you’re able to get beyond all that, you should have a good time.

This is a piece which operated in the “Kiss Me Kate” style of musical; the play-within-a-play thing has been done before, so it should not ring all that unfamiliar. There were moments when the narrative of the “story” and the “story-within-the-story” and the “story-within-the-story-within-the-story,” got a little fuzzy (thinking specifically about the elevator scenes) but, again, all that fell away in the end.

The musical begins with these five disaffected artists; drudging through their lives; feeling listless and needing something exciting to happen to them. This is not an uncommon theme in stories told ever, but it makes me wonder about expectation. It appears as though the subtext is “well, I’m doing this for now, but any moment from now my big break will come and I’ll be starring in a show at 13 St. Rep,” or something like that. The glossing over seems to be with the tough years that come before that and all the work that needs to be done after even your first successes.

Once the scenes got going, they reminded me often of a recurring vision of Patti LuPone to Peter Gallagher in the recent revival of “Noises Off” – “We’re putting on a show! We’re putting on a show!” There was bedlam after the waitering crew decides they are going to perform this night. The scenes switch often and while it’s going on, as an audience member, you aren’t really sure whether or not there is a running through line, but the viewer is brought into the fore at the plays end.

In terms of writing, many of the plays songs were cute. Many of the lyrics though, to this reviewer, seemed contrived. Lyric writing is not easy but there were occasions when I felt like the lyrics delivered took the easy way out. That said many of the actors seemed to take to their roles such that the character seemed to become the actor, so even though Chris Widney’s name is on the Book & Lyrics in the program, I’m not sure how much of a collaborative process this was or if and when the director took any creative liberties.

Brian C Curl as Robert took a very stylized approach to the character as well he should have. His performances were good; his timing was great, his delivery was funny, and he even did a little tap dancing for the room. But I might have made different directorial choices with him in instances where he operated outside the box. His performance shone when he was where he was most comfortable.

Dustin J. Harder was Steve and he was a riot. In general, he hit all the right notes in his portrayal of a perverted businessman and an aggressive go-getter who hides behind his own bravado. However his moment happened when he donned a mullet and became the leader of a rock and roll hair-band “Cujo” while at once trying to settle down to his suburban existence. The keystone moment for the lyricist in this show was right before the mullet comes off and the business suit goes on, the bandleader, singing about his wife/questioning his life: “She has an answer/Sometimes I hadn’t even asked a question/Have I ever made a right decision in my entire lifetime?” His pain was hilarious and his confusion was palpable.

Jeni Incontro as Jen was quite fetching. Unfortunately for her, she’ll probably be cast as the ingénue so long as she keeps her doe-like appearance; she should be vigilant against this, if she enjoys the ACT in acting. She had some moments in this show, whether it was her effortless Salsa dancing, her portrayal of the (eventually pregnant and bitter) love interest of Mr. Harder in the “Cujo” scene, or her turn as an older mother in a different scene where she was able to shine. Looking over her bio, she played Mae in Sam Shepard’s “Fool For Love,” which is a massive role in and of itself, so I have no doubt of her capacities.

Benjamin Mirman as Elliot was a very engaging character also. Mr. Mirman is still a little wet behind the ears as is evidenced from his sophomore year in college entry onto his bio, not that it translated in his performance. He is blessed with a certain Linus like quality which will always keep him employed so long as Charlie Brown is getting work. I thought the staging of his arc was good in that they kept the Elliot character restrained until the very end and his very sweet “Take A Chance” song, which was unquestionably the highlight of the show.

And of course Ms. Paul as Samantha. Her role was really underused, to effect; there was a moment towards the very end of the play when I realized I hadn’t seen her in a great many minutes. There was a reason for that and the beauty of live theatre shone through in her final moments onstage.

Mark T. Evans was the pianist as well as Vasily the busboy at the very beginning and Shannon O’Neil was the Voice From Beyond which gets these thespians rolling on their rollicking musical theatre journey.

The cast of “No More Waiting” may have a little more waiting while they earn their stripes but you have a few more days to head over to The 13th St. Rep and see these struggling waiter/actors reach for it.

“No More Waiting” plays at
13th St. Repertory Theatre
50 W 13th St.
New York, NY (b/w 5th & 6th Ave)
212-675-6677
http://www.13thstreetrep.org/
http://www.theatermania.com/

Running time is 90 minutes.
“No More Waiting” is performed without an intermission.

Music by David Christian Azarow
Book & Lyrics by Chris Widney
Directed by Samantha Saltzman