Review: SPEAKEASY Sparkles at Standing Room Only

SPEAKEASY is a ton of fun, and more than reason enough to seek out the Obsidian Theater in the Heights. It's an original musical set in the party peak of Prohibition '20s Chicago in a clandestine booze club called The Reading Room. The characters all inhabit this gin joint, and most all of the musical numbers are done as part of the floor show rather than the usual narrative musical comedy which has spontaneous singing for little reason. All of the songs are actually written in that decade, and the creative team has constructed a very solid "jukebox" musical out of them. SPEAKEASY has a great cast, some catchy songs, a nice plot, and a great sense of interactive fun that should have audiences on their feet doing the Charleston.

The Reading Room's central bar area is the single set for the show. Characters weave in and out of the space, and they perform mostly on the stage in the back of the room. We have the owner/hostess named Texas (Tamara Robertson) who has just made a terrible deal with the mob to keep her joint open. She's helped out by accountant and business partner Clarence (Ryan Patrick) and her trusty staff. In her employ are two torch singers, African American chanteuse Samantha (Simone Gundy) and German warbler Gert (Sarah Konkel). There's a spunky cocktail waitress who dreams of being a star named Lucie (Ragan Richardson), and the elegant doorman Eugene (Darry Hearon). Two mobsters (Kiefer Slaton and Justin White) enter The Reading Room with less than honorable intentions, and lastly we have Clarence's prude fiancee (Alli Villines) who has no idea what's in store for her in this speakeasy of ill repute.

There are many things that make SPEAKEASY work, but first and foremost is a very talented cast who bring a ton of energy and nerve to the stage. They make this world sing and bring the joyful noise to the Roaring Twenties. The actors make this all look easy and fun, and they live in the moment and the music. Simone Gundy lends a smoky presence to her singer, while Sarah Konkel gets to play the photographic negative of Sally Bowles as a German singer trapped in America's nightlife. They both make the joint jump with their respective numbers. Ryan Patrick and Darry Hearon both play more reserved gentlemen, but they each have warm voices that glide over the audience. Kiefer Slaton and Justin White lend the right amount of menace and charm to their mobsters, and Alli Villines is a gas as the uptight fiancee. Tamara Robertson wears her big heart on her sleeve as Texas, and comes off as charming and loveable throughout. Ragan Richardson is a livewire of pent up energy, and SPEAKEASY showcases her immaculate musical theatre chops all too well. It's hard to pick a favorite, and they all do wonderful jobs of fleshing out the characters as well as the '20s songbook they are playing with.

Standing Room Only's Rachel Landon has constructed a wholly entertaining book that works better than what most "jukebox" musicals offer. She has crafted the right character beats, and picked some really cool songs to bring to life. Elizabeth Tinder presides over the proceedings with an assured directorial hand. The show moves easily from one scene to the next, and you can sense that Tinder knows how to handle this type of performance. Her choreography looks great too, and is right in step with the rest of the production. She and Wayne Landon have crafted an pleasing simple set that owes to the Baz Luhrman production of THE GREAT GATSBY in design and execution. This show works in the space, and it is expertly crafted from top to bottom. It's strong work from a company known for that, but this production raises that bar a bit.

SPEAKEASY goes down well, and it's everything you'd want from a spring musical. Superb singers glide through smart numbers, and the fast moving plot is as fun as the kicky dance interludes. The audience is brought into the fun by sitting at tables that get real time service by the staff. Upgrade your tickets to the front, and you'll be offered champagne and Charleston lessons all night long. Standing Room Only has always managed to do impressive work when they take over the Obsidian Theater, but this time they set a new high. Rather than reinventing someone else's work to fit the intimate space, they are given the freedom to invent a new experience that showcases their talented cast in the best possible light. It's way more fun than any of the "big house" musicals playing in Houston right now. They have done this one right in every way. Hats off to the SPEAKEASY! It's charming, entertaining, and a whole bundle of Happy Feet Toddlin' through Chicago.

SPEAKEASY only runs through April 16th. Tickets can be purchased at www.sro-productions.com or by calling 713-300-2358. The Obsidian Theater is at 3522 White Oak Drive, and has free parking and restaurants within walking distance.

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