BKLYN THE MUSICAL

There’s a Little Fairy Tale in Every Reality

BKLYN THE MUSICAL

There’s a Bit of Truth in Every Fairy Tale…and Vice Versa

At: The Swift Creek Mill Theatre, 17401 U.S. Route One, Chesterfield, VA 23834

Performances: January 27 – February 17, 2024

Ticket Prices: $49. Discounts available for students, seniors, and veterans.

Info: (804) 748-5203 or https://www.swiftcreekmill.com

There’s been a lot of discussion recently about people who were outraged that a certain popular movie was a – gasp! – musical. I, personally, love a good musical. The first paycheck I ever earned was for working in a summer youth program that put on a production of West Side Story. (I played Anita.) I love a good musical, but one thing I love even more is a musical I never heard of that blows you away with phenomenal singing, and BKLYN THE MUSICAL almost brought me to tears with the first song, an ensemble piece called “Heart Behind These Hands” that comes even before the “Prologue.”

Thank you and kudos to Dorothy Dee-D Miller, Desirèe Dabney, Michael McMullen, Kamaron Carter, and Lindy Pokorny. This ensemble of five powerhouse vocalists remind us that the Richmond-area theatre community has no lack of talented professionals who are second to none. They played the leading roles of a magical Streetsinger, a local diva named Paradice, Taylor – a missing father, Faith – his long-lost love, and their daughter Brooklyn – the title character. These five are ably supported by the City Weeds, a band of homeless musicians, played by Garrett D. Reese, Larry “Akin” Smith, Nocole Pearson, and Anthony Hernandez. All the City Weeds except Hernandez, who is currently a Junior at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, also serve as understudies for one of the leads.

Schonfeld and McPherson put together a nominal story-within-a-story or perhaps more accurately a play-within-a-play. Set in a homeless encampment under the Brooklyn Bridge, the actors are members of the City Weeds, who make music to support themselves. Never mind that the set doesn’t much resemble the Brooklyn Bridge I used to walk across most Saturday mornings for a large part of my young adulthood, or that you’re not likely to find a bodega (corner store) under the pillars of said bridge – the set designer and creative team exercised creative license to construct a world of chain link fences, discarded mattresses, and colorful graffiti that evokes the grittiness of the stereotypical inner city. The costume designer crafted a collection of shabby chic ensembles and a few masterful garbage-sack gowns for the divas who, the story would have us believe, engage in a singing dual at Madison Square Garden. The stakes are high: if Bklyn wins, she will use all the money to help the homeless, but if Paradice wins, she will keep all the money for herself.

On opening night there were a few times when the sound was uneven and sone parts of the dialogue got lost – especially when actors were on the opposite side of the stage from where I was sitting. I trust this will be ironed out shortly.

The important thing is that for 100 minutes, with no intermission, this 9-member ensemble blew away the audience with strong vocals, dynamic performances, enough of a story to keep us interested, enough humor to make us feel loved, and enough interaction to keep us on our toes – all under the masterful direction of Shanea N, Taylor and the musical direction of Leilani Fenick. You never knew what outrageous outfit Dabney would sport next – or what stereotypically offensive utterance she would pronounce in love. You never knew when to expect a homeless person to push a shopping cart down the aisle. You never knew when Pokorny, Miller, McMullen, or Dabney would open their mouth and emit an endlessly long, clear, and perfect note.

It’s not all roses and cliches. There is homelessness, suicide, war, the mystery of an unfinished lullaby, and the aftermath of drug-addicted veterans – and of course, the toll these events take on innocent children. Yet, as far as narratives go – as far as fairytales go – none of this can compare to the real-life backstory of the musical’s authors. Apparently Schoenfeld and McPherson worked together in the 1980s. McPherson sang in cabarets and Schoenfeld wrote music. When McPherson traded in the stage for suburban family life, she and  Schoenfeld lost contact. Then, according to the real-life fairytale, on a trip to New York one day McPherson heard a familiar voice and found a now homeless Schoenfeld performing as a streetsinger for $40 a day. She then invited her old friend and business partner to come live with her family while he got himself back on his feet – and the result was BKLYN THE MUSICAL. Ta da! As I said, I love a good musical. The musical based on the authors’ story might be an even better one than the one they produced.

BKLYN THE MUSICAL is fun. It’s dynamic. Much of the music is foot-tapping good, and the singing is often excellent. It’s corny and sassy. It’s as innocent as Brooklyn (the character, not the place) and as in-your-face and confident as Paradice – and you’ve got to be confident if you parents named you after a pair of gambling cubes. It’s a well put together show that offers hope and a happy ending in spite of, well, reality.

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Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself, and occasionally performs.

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BKLYN THE MUSICAL (Stage premiere April 30, 2003, Dener, CO))

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Mark Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson

Directed by Shanea N. Taylor

CAST

Brooklyn         ……………….. Lindy Pokorny

Streetsinger     ……………….. Dorothy Dee-D Miller

Taylor              ……………….. Michael McMullen

Faith                ……………….. Kamaron Carter

Paradice          ……………….. Desirèe Dabney

City Weed/Taylor U/S ………. Garrett D. Reese

City Weed/Streetsinger U/S …. Larry “Akin” Smith

City Weed/Paradice U/S …….. Nicole Pearson

City Weed       ……………….. Anthony Hernandez

ORCHESTRA

Musical Director/Keyboard One ….. Leilani Fenick

Keyboard Two  …………………….. Ian Krauss

Reeds ……………………………… Sheri Oyan

Guitar ……………………………… Ed Drake

Bass ……………………………….. Beatrice Kelly

Drums ……………………………… Bentley Cobb

CREATIVE TEAM

Directed by Shanea N. Taylor

Musical Direction by Leilani Fenick

Scenic Design by Dasia Gregg

Lighting Design by Joe Doran

Costume Design by Maura Lynch Cravey

Choreography by Suzi Redling

Technical Direction by Liz Allmon

Run Time:

About 100 minutes with no intermission

Tickets:

Regular $49. Discounts for Seniors, Military & Veterans