REVIEW: ORDINARY DAYS is Pleasantly Quirky at SCR (ends 01/24)

COSTA MESA, CA-There are two ways to look at the city of New York: on one hand it's a bustling metropolis rife with exciting possibilities. On the other, it's a city so intimidating, jam-packed with so much jumbled activity and hordes of people, that rising above as a noticeable individual takes a lot of hard work and moxie. As the famous lyric declares, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. So, with that in mind, is there such a thing as an "ordinary day" for New Yorkers?

In theater newbie Adam Gwon's new musical ORDINARY DAYS-now playing its West Coast premiere run at Costa Mesa's Tony-Award winning South Coast Repertory-we find four young New Yorkers trying to live their ordinary days in an extraordinary city... a hard task considering how hard it is to make connections in such a hugely-populated, densely packed city. There's Warren (impressive newcomer Nick Gabriel), an artist's assistant/house sitter who fails to be noticed by people who walk past him; Deb (hilarious Deborah S. Craig), a high-maintenance grad student who is troubled by her misplaced-on-the-subway notebook that she needs to complete her thesis; there's Jason (David Burnham), gleefully in love with his girlfriend and is quite excited by their future; and Claire (Nancy Anderson), Jason's tightly-wound, finicky girlfriend with major commitment issues.

Originally produced at New York's Roundabout Theater Company, ORDINARY DAYS attempts to show that everyday life may not be as mundane as it may seem on the surface-especially when one's life is shaped so significantly by it. Warren e-mails Deb that he had found her book of notes. For Deb, she is relieved that she can continue on towards achieving her life goals; for Warren, this kismet encounter spells a life-long friendship between them. Meanwhile, Jason, despite vowing a short stay in the city, becomes enamored by it-because the girl he loves lives there. Claire, though, loves her guy, but something is preventing her from being as excited about their future prospects.

The short 80-minute musical is all sung-through, a trick that, on some musicals, can be grating and messy. But here, it works very well and is actually particularly nicely executed. Under the direction of Ethan McSweeney, the actors pace through scenes effortlessly and the set's transitions from one scene to the next is well done. Gwon's melodies are pleasing and the lyrics are sharp, witty and, at times, sweetly hilarious. All four actors are immensely talented performers and have their own solo moments to shinE. Craig's Deb has some of the best moments early on thanks to her out-loud typing of a letter to her advisor, which the audience sees "typed" in real time flashing above her. She brings a fresher new take on the younger but similarly smarmy role she brought to her debut in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Burnham (fresh from just playing Wicked's Fiyero on Broadway) is an exceptional belter with a voice that outstretches to the rafterS. Anderson is fantastic in her scenes with Burnham, notably during their reminiscing in "Fine" and their sparring matches later in the show. And Gabriel is a particularly outstanding newcomer with equally terrific moments of pure hilarity and touching pathos. His voice is a phenomenal surprise.

The only gripe about an otherwise fine show is the climactic, revelatory song "I'll Be Here" where Claire reveals (under a rainstorm of multi-colored pieces of paper) her reasons why she is so hesitant about love. The jarring, out-of-nowhere song is a complete 180 degree turn from the tone and humor of the entire show. Though Gwon's revelatory nod to the past means well (and literally shakes Claire's tentativeness out of her, helping her to move on), it seems out of place in a musical that, at its heart, is a joyous ode to finding specialness in the ordinary.

Overall, ORDINARY DAYS is a delightfully fresh, quirky musical with a sensational quartet of amazing singers.

Grade: A-

Photos by Henry DiRocco: Top: Deborah S. Craig and Nick Gabriel. Middle: Nancy Anderson and David Burnham.

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Tickets to ORDINARY DAYS can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. Performances continue through January 24. Ticket prices range from $20 to $65.

Regular performances are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at 7:45 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 25 years of age and under, educators, seniors and groups of 15 or more. There will be a "Pay-What-You-Will" performance on Saturday, Jan. 9, at 2 p.m. ($10 minimum) and an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 2 p.m.

Friday and Sunday nights following opening night are "Pay Your Age" nights, with $10 tickets for teens, $20 tickets for 20-somethings and $30 for 30-somethings. The bar will remain open an hour after the performance ends on those nights for post-show mingling.

Post show discussions will take place Tuesday, Jan. 12 & Wednesday, Jan. 13. Discuss the play with members of the ORDINARY DAYS cast during free post-show discussions led by South Coast Repertory's literary team.

Inside the Season takes place Saturday, Jan. 16, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. $12. This event is a series of interactive classes that provide a comprehensive inside look at the theatrical production process. Each two-hour class features creative personnel from South Coast Repertory's current production. Inside the Season is offered on select Saturday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (714) 708-5555. (Tickets to ORDINARY DAYS are sold separately.)

South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, at the Bristol Street/Avenue of the Arts exit off the San Diego (405) Freeway in the Folino Theater Center, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Parking is available off Anton Blvd. on Park Center Drive.

For more information on ORDINARY DAYS, visit www.scr.org.

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