WAITING IN THE WINGS: THE MUSICAL

A Montana gay boy with stardom in his eyes gets accidentally cast in an off-off-off-Broadway male strip show and multiple complications ensue in the stage adaptation of Jeffrey A. Johns’ 2016 movie musical hit Waiting In The Wings, now getting its World Premiere at Westminster’s Rose Center Theater.

The last thing Peter Pan-sized Anthony Richardson (Johns) expected when he submitted his video audition tape (a solo musical salute to Aladdin, Tarzan, Pocahontas, and Hercules) was to follow in Gypsy’s footsteps (the stripper, not the musical), nor was the similarly named, but umpteen times buffer (and straighter), male burlesque vet Tony Richardson (Johnny Fletcher) any better prepared to sing and dance when he got cast in the show that was supposed to be Anthony’s.

But thanks to an inadvertent snafu, that’s where our two heroes find themselves to their considerable dismay.

As Anthony gets taught the stripping ropes by hunky Lee (Ray Tezanos) with motherly advice from drag queen host(ess) Kelsey (Tyler Stouffer) thrown in for good measure, Tony finds himself directed by a not-so-dazzled Michael (Chris Fine) and coached by leading lady Rita (Abby Carlson) and swishy gay showboy Peter (Trevin Stephenson), each of whom would like nothing better than to get inside Tony’s thong.

Will Tony and Rita’s onstage romance extend into their real lives? Will Anthony and Lee do more than just strip together? Will Trevor (Garrett Brown), Anthony’s straightlaced boyfriend back home, and Ethel (Dyan Hobday-Smith), his oldest hometown supporter, find out the truth about Anthony’s unplanned career detour? And what about Bob (Chris Caputo) and Daryl (Mark Wickham)? How will they figure in Anthony and Tony’s lives?

These are the questions answered in Waiting In The Wings: The (Stage) Musical, a production whose biggest assets are Johns, Fletcher, Carlson, and Tezano, big-voiced featured players Daisy Tye (as casting director Delores) and Mary Murphy-Nelson (as Tony’s Mom), and leggy standout Kristen Daniels as Rita’s chorus girl rival Gina (who takes the words “Break a leg” to heart).

Less successful are the changes made in Johns’ own adaptation of a movie that ran a brisk 100 minutes (not counting titles) into a show that goes on at least 40 minutes longer.

Most of the stage musical’s over a dozen new songs (and that includes Delores and Tony’s Mom’s solos) do little more than pad the show’s running time, in particular “There Is Life In Every Cup,” sung at a sperm bank in a scene that worked better in the movie minus song.

(Songs, a whopping 21 in all, are by Danny Abosch, Tony Asaro, Jeff Batdorf, Ken Clifton, Bobby Cronin, Jay Falzone, Arie Gonzalez, Rob Hartmann, Caleb Hoyer, Paul Luis, Ann Markt, Rick McKee, David Pevsner, Jeff Rizzo, Nick Santa Maria, Rob Shapiro, and Ruth Wallis, which may be a record for a single musical.)

That’s not to say there aren’t pleasures to be had in Waiting In The Wings: The (Stage) Musical, directed and musical directed by Tim Nelson.

Anthony’s video submission, “I’d Never Ask For More” (which went by the catchier “I’m A Disney Whore” in the movie) has him impersonating one Disney character after another. Choreographed by Jennifer Korensiet it’s a bona fide show stopper, and as he did in the original movie, Johns plays Anthony with joie de vivre that’s hard to resist.

Fletcher not only gives Tony a male stripper’s muscular physique, he plays dumb delightfully and shows off trained vocals as well.

Carlson’s blonde bombshell of Rita knows how to command a stage and sell a song, and a break-out Tezanos gives hunk-next-door Lee likability and charisma, natural acting chops, and a million-dollar smile.

Song-and-dance ensemble members Michael Aguirre, Daniel Byrne, Holly Griffin, Kristin Henry, Rylie Herbel, Mikey Israel, Luis Negron, Yannis Pazianas, Andrew Soto, Ashley Stewart, Sarah Villacarillo, and Taylor Windle give the production their enthusiastic all.

Arianna Hyatt, Kornswiet, Jennifer Matthews, and Stephenson choreograph with pizzazz, and costumes and wigs (the latter by Cliff Senior) are terrific too.

Still, despite some vivid, scene-setting projections, Waiting In The Wings’ set and lighting design come across community theater level at best.

Kelsey’s makeup is by Briana Bonilla. Caputo is technical director. Stephanie Bull will be playing Delores and Karen Rymar will be playing Ethel at next week’s closing performances.

With significant trims and a song-and-dance ensemble the caliber of those who helped make Waiting In The Wings: The (Movie) Musical such a hit, its stage adaptation might just have legs. For now, it remains a work in progress.

Rose Center Theater. 14140 All American Way, Westminster.
www.rosecentertheater.com

–Steven Stanley
November 7, 2021

Covid Protocols: Audience members visiting from Los Angeles should be advised that Rose Center Theater does not require vaccinated audience members to wear masks, No vaccination check is required upon entering the theater. Though I myself am fully vaxxed and boosted, given the implied “honor system,” I felt safer remaining masked.

 

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