Review Roundup: INVISIBLE THREAD Opens at Second Stage

Second Stage's New York premiere production of INVISIBLE THREAD opens tonight, December 2, 2015 at the Tony Kiser Theatre (305 W 43rd Street). Tony Award winner Diane Paulus directs the new musical production, written by Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews. Darrell Grand Moultrie co-choreographs with Sergio Trujillo as choreographer.

The cast of INVISIBLE THREAD features Melody Betts, Rodrick Covington, Kevin Curtis, Tyrone Davis Jr., Nkrumah Gatling, Latrisa Harper, Jason Herbert, Aisha Jackson, Kristolyn Lloyd, Michael Luwoye, Corey Mach, Tiffany Mann,Griffin Matthews, Jeremy Pope, Jamard Richardson, Nicolette Robinson, Adeola Role, Conor Ryan, and Jamar Williams..

Determined to find his place in the world, 20-something Griffin leaves his job and his New York City apartment to volunteer for a charity in Africa. But when his altruistic aspirations collide with the real world, his life is changed in unexpected and profound ways. Inspired by a true story, this rousing new musical infuses a world pop score with African beats in an electrifying journey about discovering whether changing the world is even possible.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Charles Isherwood, The New York Times: Inspired by the real experiences of Griffin Matthews..."Invisible Thread" is moistened with sentiment and a little scattered when it comes to story. Even in its early scenes, the musical, directed by Diane Paulus...makes odd choices about what to dramatize and how...Once Griffin arrives in Uganda, the energy increases...The music for "Invisible Thread" is polished, melodic pop-rock in the vein of "Rent"...with songs for the Ugandans naturally infused with African chants and rhythms...But many songs tend to be soul-baring ballads or generic expressions of uplift...that fail to advance the story, lending the first act, in particular, a static quality...Mr. Matthews provides a beaming focus as Griffin, his wiry frame bouncing around the stage...But while its exotic setting lends it some freshness, "Invisible Thread" is ultimately pretty conventional...For all his good intentions, Griffin -- and, by extension, we in the audience -- never move beyond being cultural tourists.

Marilyn Stasio, Variety: But despite the heavy drumming, the show isn't really about Uganda or African orphans or African anything. It's about Griffin Matthews...To create some kind of dramatic complications, Griffin unwittingly betrays a young man named Jacob (Michael Luwoye) who loves him and expects to return with him to New York...But the only person with any kind of sense in this show is Jacob's sister, Joy (played with a bit of grit by Adeola Role), who tries to wise up Griffin to the political realities of life in Uganda. That seed of enlightenment isn't developed because it distracts from Griffin's more compelling objective in working in Africa: "I want to feel good about my life." Eventually he does feel good about what he's become -- good enough to write a musical for and about and with himself. And you thought charity was supposed to be selfless.

David Cote, Time Out NY: At-risk, education-deprived teens in one of Africa's poorest nations. Frustrated musical-theater creators living in Queens. You wouldn't expect these demographics to meet, much less improve each other's lives, but they do in the exuberant and soulful Invisible Thread...the show releases gale-force waves of faith, hope and love every time its hardworking cast joins together on gospel wails or Afrobeat jams. The score...is bold, fresh and catchy. But when those bracing numbers...end, problems begin. The book leavens the realities of African hardship with humor and some complexity but fails to make the central characters...rich and dimensional...Diane Paulus's slick and muscular production helps cover up some of the less plausible or airbrushed aspects of the story, which is fictionalized to the edge of slight melodrama.

Robert Hofler, TheWrap: Since Gould and Matthews have taken creative license with their real-life story, it's disappointing that they haven't made Griffin and Ryan's relationship as multi-faceted as Griffin and Jacob's, which has much more emotional heft. There's nothing tragic or unresolved about what Griffin and Ryan do. They're in love, they work together, and achieve a great deal. If only their respective reasons for going to Uganda were more dramatically gripping...Gould and Matthews's percussive score, fortunately, starts with a bang and blankets over these shortcomings in exposition, as does Sergio Trujillo and Darrell Grand Moultrie's energetic African-based choreography. With "Invisible Thread," director Diane Paulus eschews the circus gimmickry and pyrotechnics of her recent Broadway outings ("Finding Neverland," "Pippin") to embrace a minimalist approach that suits the material to perfection.

Matt Windman, AM New York: It ends on a somewhat unresolved and downbeat note. But for the most part, "Invisible Thread" is a highly personalized but relatable and heartfelt coming-of-age story that explores issues of culture clash and global responsibility. The attractive score combines pop-rock with African rhythms and gospel. Paulus' production features a very effective visual design (with great use of video projections) and strong performances from the mostly black ensemble cast. Here's hoping that Gould and Matthews' future adventures inspire more musicals!

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Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

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