A Review

Fine Tuning The Sound

By R. J. Donovan

In "High Fidelity," the new musical having its world premiere at The Colonial Theatre, the leading character and his best friends live, eat, drink and breath music. They go for the purity of the composition, the truth in the sound. With no tolerance for pop fluff, they expect nothing less than total allegiance to the art. Start to finish, it's all about the music. Period.

The creators of the show have seemingly used that as a springboard for the production, because it is almost entirely music. Book writer David Lindsay-Abaire (and local South Boston guy) has been allowed to add very little dialogue. Rather, the musical numbers tell the story and define characters.

On the plus side, Amanda Green's lyrics are bright and smart and very clever. (Green is daughter of Broadway legend Adolph Green.) The downside is that Tom Kitt's music tends to sound the same after a couple of songs. So while Greene's lyrics are indeed clever, the music has a sameness that fails them.

Based on the Nick Hornby novel and subsequent film of the same name, the story focuses on Rob (Will Chase, at center), the unlucky-in-love owner of a record store called Championship Vinyl -- the last of a dying breed.

His girlfriend Laura (Jenn Colella) is breaking up with him, causing him to reflect on all his past relationships. What happened? Why didn't they work? What's ahead for him? And was Laura "the one."

The show starts off with a kick-ass opener called "The Last Real Record Store." It's sharp and loud and ebullient and starts the night off on a high note.

Unfortunately, many of the other numbers are delivered at the same break neck pace and volume. It's like marking an entire paragraph of copy in boldface type. If everything's emphasized, nothing stands out. By the time we come to "Wonderful Love, " a sweet ballad near the end of the show, the number sounds remarkable purely in contrast to the rest of the material.

At the same time, "High Fidelity" does have potential. What is working at the moment are the performances. The hard working cast gives it all they've got. Will Chase blows the roof off the theater with his powerhouse voice on more than one occasion, and the supporting players are first rate -- to the extent that they're often more interesting than the relationship between the two main characters.

The other thing that stands out is the show's set, designed by Anna Louizos and aided by Ken Billington's detailed lighting (note the moonbeams in "Wonderful Love"). Every scene change is a ballet of set pieces flying, descending, folding and spinning into place. Some of the changes are quite amazing. Case in point, one scene shifts from Ian's bedroom (he's Laura's new boyfriend) to Rob's bedroom. The shift is a series of smooth but subtle moves, ending with Ian pulling the bedspread from his bed and walking away. It all happens with such finesse that you suddenly realize the story's moved to a new location in a blink.

Another good example is at the top of the second act. "I Slept With Someone" is a duet for Rob and Laura. Although the two actors are actually lying side by side, the characters are in separate apartments and separate beds. The number begins with Rob, shifts to Laura and ends with them both -- all of it mastered by ingenious changes in the set.

Creatively, the cast scores with "Conflict and Resolution" in which Rob confronts Ian. With a very cinematic touch, the show's creators have him react to the meeting, then rewind the scene, react in a new way, rewind the scene, react in yet a third way, and rewind the scene. The success of the sequence lies more in the impeccable way the actors pull it off than in the material.

Of the supporting cast, Jay Klaitz is the boisterous Barry, Jeb Brown is touchy-feely Ian, Rachel Stern is great as Liz (friend to both Laura and Rob), and Christian Anderson gives an endearing performance as "No Problem" Dick. Jon Patrick Walker is also on the money with a very funny musical moment mimicking Bruce Springsteen in "Goodbye and Good Luck."

The show is in town for its pre-Broadway try-out, which means changes are inevitable during the local run. Tony Award winning Walter Bobbie is directing the production and you can see his adept talents throughout the evening.

In the meantime, "High Fidelity" has some tinkering to do before the purity shines through. 'Cuz you just know Rob and his buddies wouldn't settle for anything less.

"High Fidelity" is at The Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston Street, through October 22. For information, call 617-931-2787.

Production Photos: Joan Marcus

-- OnStage Boston

 

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