LADY LIBERTY SINGS OFF BROADWAY
REVIEW: LIBERTY A MONUMENTAL NEW MUSICAL
BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO
Liberty A Monumental New Musical tells a delightful story of this iconic monument that’s a symbol of American freedom with a reverence for history, but doesn’t quite reach the top in terms of dramatic artistry and compelling storytelling. However, the musical does give Americans and tourists alike a beautiful presentation that educates them about this infamous statue and human rights while simultaneously pointing out how history tends to repeat itself.
C. Mingo Long, left and Abigail Shapiro. Photo Credit Russ Rowland.
To say that Liberty musical brings the Statue of Liberty to life is an understatement because in this musical she literally comes to life. She talks, walks and interacts with the characters like a normal non-statue character, and as much as Abigail Shapiro makes a forcible lady liberty, it’s difficult to see a statue talk and converse on stage without magic, farce or fantasy. This dramatic choice, for at least the adults in the room, makes it challenging to fully invest in the story of this statue that’s come to America to stand as a symbol of freedom that serves a welcoming sight to immigrants arriving from abroad.
Evan Pappas’ direction elevates all the action of the show, he brings it as much as possible in to a more contemporary setting making the show more interesting and engaging. Throughout the show Pappas creates historic tableaus of moments of the immigrant experience and the statue of Liberty. These picturesque moments serve as memorable anchors that audiences can easily follow throughout the show. This of course culminates with the Statue of Liberty taking her place on the platform in full glory with crown, torch and tablet.
Abigail Shapiro. Photo Credit Russ Rowland.
The music by Jon Goldstein is a mix of pop styles and classic musical theatre styles. Overall the score feels disconnected due to the constant back and forth of these two musicals styles and the lack of cohesion and through-line. The classic-style songs such as “The Charity Tango” and “We Had It Worse”, although amusing, in turn takes audiences out of the story and into old-fashioned territory—it’s no longer a requirement to have a Latin number in a musical.
Ninth grader Abigail Shapiro (Liberty) is the treasure of the whole show—she’s an inspiring performer that has the dramatic range and depth of a professional ten times her senior. She sings every note of every song with strength, conviction and a bright copper shimmer—her rendition of “Horizon” is breathtaking and is easily the best number. The rest of the cast follows suit offering equally first-rate performances. Brandon Andrus (Walker) is the quintessential villain representing the entitled nativists with Tina Stafford (Olga, Regina) who expertly plays both sides of the coin, immigrant and wealthy American. Mark Aldrich (Pulitzer, Patrick McKay) is our deus ex machina, hero and comic relief his comedy/list song duet with Stafford “We Had It Worse” is funny and charming. Another one of the most impressive performances of the show is C. Mingo Long (Samuel Ferguson) in his solo in “More”, his deep and potent voice rings with all the pains that he and his family have gone through to be free African Americans in the United States.
WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC DIRECTOR?
Music director Jeffrey Lodin has done a superb job preparing the cast for this original musical. All the vocal performances in Liberty are both dramatic and musically precise. My only grievance with the musical execution of Liberty is the use of electronic instrument tracks for the accompaniment. Understanding that live musicians are not often in the budget for off-Broadway shows and that the tracks do offer unique sounds for the contemporary numbers, in the case of Liberty a single piano/keyboard would have been more than enough to tell this story.
Abigail Shapiro and the cast of Liberty. Photo Credit Russ Rowland.
As is, Liberty A Monumental New Musical is an entertaining family show that’s sure to amuse and better acquaint people with stunning monument that stands proudly on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. This off-Broadway musical is making large strides in the painstaking developmental process that all good musicals must endure—Liberty at present is a “good musical”, but it’s not great, that will take more time, and brilliance will take even longer. With a run into September the creators have a fine opportunity to continue to chip away and reform this show into the truly monumental musical that it has the potential to be.
Liberty A Monumental New Musical runs until September 4th 2016 and tickets can be purchased by calling (866) 811-4111 or visiting LibertyTheMusical.com.
