BWW Reviews: Bailiwick's MURDER BALLAD is a Rocking Affair

Immersive Theatre, the term commonly used to describe the staging of a play or musical wherein the audience is somehow placed within the physical action of the show, has been a growing trend and can offer many benefits for both actors and audience; the most obvious being the audience's ability to feel as if they are totally encapsulated in the story. Bailiwick Chicago Theater's current production of the rock opera musical "Murder Ballad" is the latest to employ this staging device, taking advantage of the Flat Iron Arts Building's black box theatre and turning it into a bar-like space, with seating at tables among the action, as well as off to the side.

The original Off-Broadway production of this dark, intriguing musical used a similar set up: chairs and tables in the middle, as well as traditional seating on two sides of the playing space. Which begs the question: Does "Murder Ballad" need an immersive setting to be successful? By my account, no, but it certainly helps. It's not a flashy show (in fact, most of it is quite intimate), and the audience's close proximity to the actors allows actors to give more realistic, subtle interpretations of their characters, while allowing those sitting in the audience to pick up on every nuance of these characterizations.

Unfortunately, although the director of Bailiwick's production, James Beaudry, chooses to stage the musical within an immersive setting, he seems to have chosen to direct in the style of a traditionally staged musical, rather than what works best in an immersive space (or for that matter, a rock opera). There are too many highly theatrical moments (dramatic choreographed turns of the head and the like) that, in such a setting, plays much too large and forced.

Perhaps the greatest pitfall directors must navigate when staging a show in an immersive space is the choice to engage or ignore the audience. There's no easier way to alienate an audience than to make them feel uncomfortable, so the decision to acknowledge the audience (and at what moments) needs to be smartly thought out. Beaudry's choice for the actors to nearly always be aware of the audience looking in on what should be some of their most intimate moments (even before the show, where the actors must come out into the audience and engage in conversation with the theatre-goers), seems a misfire for a show like "Murder Ballad." For one of the characters, whose name is simply Narrator, it makes sense that our guide through this story would be aware of us as onlookers. However, for the other characters to be making a deliberate point of making eye contact to the audience while belting out their emotions, it only brings on a feeling of unease - and, each time it occurred, immediately made me aware that it was an actor staring me down, not a character. There's nothing within the libretto to indicate that having anyone other than the Narrator make "friends" of the audience would aid the telling of the story in any way, and, in practice in Bailiwick's production, there is certainly nothing enhanced by this directional choice.

It's within the confines of these two directional choices where this production falls short; yet, there are still moments where the strength of the musical shines. The excellent score, written by Juliana Nash and Julia Jordan, keeps the show high-energy and intriguing, and is sung superbly here by the four-person cast (although there are moments, particularly in more of the rock-belt sections, where it feels like the actors drop their characters and indulge themselves a little too much in the pleasure of their talented voices).

And although all four give good performances, it did seem some miscasting occurred here; the entire story is built on the chemistry between two of the characters, Sara and Tom (played respectively by Amanda Horvath and Chris Logan), yet there was no obvious attraction between the two, making character motivations throughout the show feel contrived and hard to believe.

I also question a couple creative liberties taken with the script in this production. While interesting choices, it does feel like the addition of these changes veer a little too far from the written events and motivations of the play.

While the direction of the piece ultimately lacks the realness and grit to constitute its title, Bailiwick's "Murder Ballad" is still certainly worth a viewing for the strength and ingenuity (and fun) of the piece itself, and to hear this great score sung by fantastic singers. You may be left wanting when it comes to theatrical or emotional fulfillment, but it still manages to be a fun and entertaining night out with some excellent music.

"Murder Ballad," produced by Bailiwick Chicago Theater, is currently playing at the Flat Iron Arts Building (1579 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago) through May 9, 2015. Tickets range from $30 - $40 and can be purchased at www.bailiwickchicago.com or by calling (773) 969-6201.

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow

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