Review: TROUBADOUR at Alliance Theatre

The ALLIANCE THEATRE has a habit of debuting innovative theatre that sometimes even makes it to Broadway. (Note: Tuck Everlasting, Bring It On, Sister Act, Aida, The Color Purple. No big deal, right?) It is for this reason that I was not surprised that their latest musical, TROUBADOR, was just as exceptional.

The music from the show comes from Grammy-winning artist, Sugarland's Kristian Bush. The Georgia native clearly had no problem putting lyrics and chords to paper, as Bush has been writing these songs since he was 13 years old. He just had no idea they would all be strung together to create the backbone of a musical. The show features a blend of Christian and country music as the Joe Mason tries to take a leap of faith out of his father's shadow (who just happens to be a living country music legend). Throughout the course of the piece, music inhabits the stage as the band remains mobile and a crucial part of the show.

The musical features a book by Janece Shaffer, a playwright with a healthy amount of shows debuted in collaboration with the Alliance. Shaffer is able to tell the classic story of a son longing to make his father proud and make it all country music, all Nashville. The writing is clever and timely, making you laugh, making you feel the scorn, making you feel like the misfit. Note: if you do not like puns, do not see this show!

Now let's talk about the cast: six people, five of which are equity members. Speaking from experience, the worst thing a creative team can do is make poor casting decisions. That did not happen with TROUBADOUR, though. Andrew Benator stole the show, making us laugh and wish that we could land the girl. Zach Seabaugh made our hearts swoon thanks to his smooth voice and his character's revolutionary suiting choices. And then Rob Lawhon made us feel like we've been listening to his radio shows our entire lives.

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The ALLIANCE THEATRE is located in the heart of Atlanta's midtown area inside of the Woodruff Arts Center. TROUBADOUR is currently running through February 12. To get tickets to the last week of the run, click here.

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