All that was missing was an ice cold can of beer in my hand as I sat back in my folding beach chair and took in the sights as I imagined the ocean waves of Coney Island crashing in the distance. No wait... maybe that was really the sound of the crashing waters of Niagara Falls. Or was I at The Alamo? And what exactly is this Rock City that all the barn rooftops say I should be seeing?
Brad Alexander (music) and Adam Mathias' (book and lyrics) sweet and uplifting travelogue musical, See Rock City & Other Destinations, may not take us to Hope, Arkansas, but its six vignettes, each taking place at a different tourist destination, are infused with simple hopefulness, as unfulfilled characters summon up the courage to take a risk. Not all endings are happy, but the roads leading to them do supply a lot of emotional adventure, and Transport Group's enchanting production, directed by Jack Cummings III, allows us to take in the sights from an unusual perspective.
The evening begins in the wee hours at a quiet roadside diner, where a lonely fellow (Bryce Ryness), inspired by signs imploring "See Rock City," is unexpectedly joined by a perky waitress (Mamie Parris) in a late night road trip to that Georgia landmark offering panoramic views of seven states; forcing him to change his view of what he can get out of life.
Next, we're shuttled to Roswell, New Mexico, where a determined young lad (Stanley Bahorek), fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend, spends an all-night vigil with his video camera, set to prove his belief in alien visitors. Though The Alamo is a place we're supposed to remember for a famous battle, for a sickly, wheelchair-bound gentleman (Ryan Hilliard) it's the place where his unmarried granddaughter (Sally Wilfert) takes him once a year to savor the memory of where he met his deceased wife. Perhaps it will one day be the place she remembers for being where she met that nice man eating his lunch (Jonathan Hammond).
The icy North Atlantic waters bring to mind the chilly relationship between three sisters (Parris, Wilfert and Donna Lynne Champlin) on an Alaskan cruise, preparing to dump their father's ashes into the sea. A gift from dad from long ago helps insure this will not be their final family outing. A pair of prep-schoolers (Ryness and Bahorek), playing hooky at Coney Island, discover that little in that playland is exactly what it claims to be, including their friendship. Finally, a jittery bride-to-be in Niagara Falls (Champlin) plays hooky from her wedding to take a tour led by a sinister guide (Hammond) who shows her the less romantic side of town.
I could be cynical and call the plots predictable, but Mathias' strong knack for uncomplicated and sincere storytelling through everyday language gives them the quality of familiar folk tales. Alexander's music, played by a bass, guitar and cello, is of the quality that strikes at emotions more than delivering melody, and is memorable in the way it shares dramatic weight with the lyrics to present strong moments.
Cummings' minimalist production, reminiscent of Thornton Wilder's Our Town has the audience entering a space that is completely bare, save for a tower of scaffolding that carries a mountain of multi-colored folding beach chairs. Up until show time, the customers are asked to stand near the walls, behind a white line, while the actors take down the chairs and arrange them in their proper places. There is no reserved seating once we're allowed to take a chair. (Tip: Stay close to the side of the room nearest the entrance; otherwise suffer a limited view of scenes taking place atop the scaffolding and in a balcony corner to its left.) The empty playing space is resourcefully filled by R. Lee Kennedy's lighting, which is amusing in its creative use of fluorescents and flash lights and striking in some of its more evocative visuals.
Cummings' splendidly buoyant production features excellent work from a talented ensemble. Champlin brings a touching vulnerability to ground the quirkiness of her bride and is wonderfully droll as the more sarcastic sister. Hammond's flashy evilness as the tour guide is a nice contrast to the simple amiability of his Alamo character. Ryness' lanky physicality brings a likeable awkwardness to his Rock City pilgrim and, as his travel partner, Parris is a spunky delight. Bahorek's geeky UFO-watcher, Wilfert's heart-guarding Alamo visitor and Hilliard as her romance-minded grandfather also make fine contributions.
Photos by Carol Rosegg: Top: Mamie Parris and Bryce Ryness; Bottom: Donna Lynne Champlin and Jonathan Hammond.
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