REVIEW: UNBEATABLE! Opens at the Playhouse at Westport Plaza

Based on Laurie Frey's own experience dealing with the physical ravages of stage three breast cancer, Unbeatable! attempts to put a musical spin on her story, providing viewers with a unique interpretation of her struggle to overcome this deadly disease. The most appreciative audience for this material may well be cancer survivors and the extended families of anyone who's ever been touched by this terrible illness, and it will be interesting to see how it's received over the long run. An intriguing, and sporadically engaging production, which features a bevy of local actors in supporting roles, graces the stage of the The Playhouse at Westport Plaza for an extended run.

Tracy Boyd is a driven career woman whose life is on the verge of spiraling out of control when she receives the news that a biopsy has shown that she has breast cancer. Tracy had actually found the lump a year before, but failed to follow up on her discovery with a physician. See, the point here is that she's too busy, too caught up in her own frenetic lifestyle, to take time to take care of herself. But, here her selflessness is seen as selfishness, and she finds herself "on trial" for her life, trying to defend, while at the same time understand, how she arrived at this point. The first act follows her intense denial of the situation, while the second focuses on her gradual acceptance of her condition. Her battle is a brave one indeed, but here it becomes trivialized by Eric Coble's trite script.

Kristy Cates chooses to play Tracy as a shrill smart aleck, imbuing her character with an attitude that seems less unbeatable than unbearable. This misguided approach extends to her vocals as well, and it just becomes too much to take after a while. This is a person we need to have empathy for, and whether it's the fault of the script or the actor's choice, this decision undermines the potential power of this chronicle.

Thankfully, the supporting cast is a talented group that manages to make the most of these thinly sketched caricatures. Landon Shaw is strong as Tracy's husband Brad, and he lets you see Brad's frustration with Tracy's tardiness at reacting to her problem, while also exploring the tender feelings he holds for her. Charity Dawson makes a good impression as Tracy's friend Ally, displaying a natural good humor, as well as the best voice among the cast. Stellie Siteman is fine as her wise cracking mother, and she delivers a warm rendition of one of the most memorable songs in the show; "Follow the Light". Elise LaBarge is saddled with a one note part as the prosecuting attorney, who's actually a younger version of Tracy, but she does what she can with a mostly thankless role. Pam Reckamp, John Flack, Mark Kelley and Michelle Burdette Elmore also contribute in multiple roles.

Michael Barnard's direction is assured, and the action is tightly paced, but the drama inherent in the material is never fully mined, and the comedy falls flat. Music Director Henry Falkes draws sharp performances from the cast, but Todd Schroeder and Kevin Fisher's compositions are forgettable at best. Robert Kovach's scenic design works well to conjure up the various locations portrayed.

I think there's a decent concept here, and the play certainly has a number of positive messages to convey. But, in its present form, it's more an indictment of career women than the feel good inspiration it should be.

Unbeatable! continues through November 22, 2009 at The Playhouse at Westport Plaza.

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