by Les Spindle
Frontiersweb
September 1998 |
 Lo and behold--here's a musical that puts true originality back
into the phrase "original musical." "The Last Session," an
off-Broadway show in its West Coast premiere, with book and direction by Jim Brochu and
music and lyrics by Steve Schalchlin (with additional lyrics by John Bettis and Marie
Cain) is a funny, poignant and exhilarating entertainment. As we savor the charms of a
superlative cast, flawless production values and skillful direction, we are quickly swept
up in the sheer joy of this inspirational work. A little background: Brochu and Schalchlin
are lifetime companions, and Schalchlin initially wrote the songs as a sort of therapy to
work through the challenges he was facing in his battle against AIDS. Brochu subsequently
incorporated them into a narrative. The story involves an HIV-positive pop/gospel singer
named Gideon (Bob Stillman) who has decided to make one final recording especially for his
lover, and then commit suicide the next day. He enlists the help of his
accompanist/engineer Jim (P.M. Howard) and two singers, the outspoken diva Tryshia
(Michele Mais), and Vicki (Amy Coleman), a wisecracking ex-flame from Gideon's pre-coming
out days. Also arriving on the scene is Buddy (Joel Traywick), another vocalist who is a
devout Southern Christian and a fan of Gideon's, who is appalled to discover that his idol
is both HIV-positive and a sinful homosexual. The clash of wills between the
Bible-thumping, homophobic Buddy and the liberal-thinking Gideon results in some riveting
scenes, as Stillman and Traywick eloquently portray the profound catharsis of their
characters' serendipitous confrontation. Mais and Coleman match glorious vocalizations
with honest and witty line readings to create two fully empathetic characters. Howard
lends fine support, delivering his character's wry barbs with aplomb. The songs by
Schalchlin and Brochu are rousing and tuneful, and they are expertly served by Barry
Fasman's adept musical supervision and the considerable musical gifts of the impressive
cast. The attractive and superbly detailed recording-studio set by Don Gruber is awesome,
while the lighting design by Paulie Jenkins and costumes by Dwight Richard Odle are
likewise impeccable. Ignore the cynics who will undoubtedly over-emphasize the scattered
moments of contrivance that admittedly creep into the otherwise first-rate book and
lyrics. No, this is not a flawless work, but it is a passionate and richly entertaining
show that pumps welcome new life into the moribund genre of musical theatre. You can revel
in the sentimental pleasures of this jubilant crowd-pleaser without feeling guilty the
next morning. |