BWW Reviews: The 1980's Come Alive with BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY at freeFall

If you were to create a 1980's time capsule in order to best reflect items from the Kajagoogoo Era, what would you include? For music, of course Michael Jackson's Thriller must belong alongside New Order's "Blue Monday" EP and maybe Dexy Midnight Runner's "Come On, Eileen." For movies, how about Top Gun, The Breakfast Club or Risky Business? And for books, you can't go wrong with Less Than Zero, Slaves of New York or, obviously, BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY by Jay McInerney.

I remember when BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY was the literary darling of the mid-Eighties. Told in second person, it detailed a week in the life of a twentysomething unnamed narrator (called Jamie in the 1988 movie and in the musical), whose wife recently left him, who lost his mother to cancer exactly a year earlier, and who was just fired from his job as a fact checker at a magazine not unlike The New Yorker. On top of this is the all night partying at clubs where drugs are more than just recreational...they have become his life.

The novel has become a lost icon from three decades ago, rarely discussed as anything more than a forgotten literary snapshot of the New York City party scene during the Reagan years. It's certainly not the first work you would think of that could translate well into a musical, but neither would a Roger Corman film about a man-eating plant if you think about it. That's why I'm so happy that Paul Scott Goodman turned BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY into a non-stop rock musical back in 1999, and that the courageous Eric Davis at freeFall has now staged a wonderfully galvanizing version of it. It's a truly exciting piece of theatre.

If you were too young to know the 1980's, then watching this production may help you understand what the decade was like more than any "Miami Vice" rerun or Tears for Fears song. It takes you on a fast-moving elevator ride from the party-hardy highs of the club scene to the crash-landing lows of the morning after.

The only worry about a show like this is that a stranger to the Jay McInerney story (or to the 1980's in general) might be lost early on and wonder why they're watching this, why they want to invest in such a dark tale of a coked-up yuppie, no matter how vibrantly staged. But the rocking score, the choreography and the wonderful cast will soon set them straight.

Like last year's Burnt Part Boys, this is not a musical that we will likely ever see again in the area (it's too edgy for most community theatres and many people don't know it), so make sure to see this ballsy production of it while you have the chance. Although Goodman's songs are sometimes hit or miss for me, the show becomes a beautifully produced time machine of sorts that shoots us right into the heart of the Eighties.

Also, freeFall does things more than just right. Added to Goodman's songs are actual selections from the novel that help put the work and Jamie's struggles in perspective. This is an ingenious move, done specifically for this production, and it elevates the story.

The action of BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY is non-stop for 90 minutes, no intermission. This is quite appropriate because Jamie doesn't ever seem to stop in his coked-up downward spiral.

The first thing the audience notices upon entering the theatre is Matt Davis' set surrounding a majority of the band like a run-down runway, a sort of tattered catwalk, a literal road to nowhere (to quote the Talking Heads). The audience sits in the round either in rows or at club-like tables (similar to freeFall's Cabaret a few years ago, except the tables are high up behind the audience seats, not near the stage area...but every seat, as in nearly all freeFall shows, is a good one).

The hard-working cast couldn't be better. As Jamie, Lucas Wells is stunning. He's onstage almost every moment, running from here to there, owning every instance along the way. It's an explosive performance, but he also hits the character's sadness and emptiness. His struggle takes a while to get used to (if you don't know the story, you'll wonder who this guy is early on and wonder why should we care about a failed writer hopped up on drugs). But then Jamie grows on us, and we start rooting for him. As those who saw Wells in freeFall's Spring Awakening a couple of years ago can attest, his voice is spectacular; he hits all the right notes and then some. An amazing performance.

Nick Lerew strikes again. After his brilliant work in freeFall's productions of The Burnt Part Boys and Into the Woods, he follows them up here with another winning turn as Jamie's brother, Michael. His duet with Wells on "Brother" is one of the shows several highlights. And the fight scene between these two siblings is quite realistically staged.

Sarita Amani Nash, as Jamie's love interest/savior, is a revelation. Her "Kindness" and "Perfect Feeling" give us hope in all this madness, and you can feel the sparks between her and Wells.

In some musicals, there is a number that breaks your heart and emotionally pummels the audience, songs like "Left Behind" in Spring Awakening, "I'll Cover You (Reprise)" from Rent and "What Would You Do?" from Cabaret. BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY has one that may be one of the most emotionally wrenching musical moments I have ever seen: "Are You Still Holding My Hand?" sung by Jamie's cancer-stricken mother just before she dies. As performed by Heather Krueger, it is an emotional sock in the gut and so bare, so raw, so real. You could hear a pin drop from the audience as she sang and wept her way through the song. It's a glorious moment. And yes, audience members had to wipe their tears away at the end of the song. She is equally as good in the much more uplifting "Happy Birthday, Darling."

The entire cast serves the work well. Clinton Harris is a particularly eely Tad, Jamie's high-octane party animal friend. Amy Marie Stewart is heart-warming and moving in her song, "My Son." Katie Berger, last seen as Little Red in freeFalls' Into the Woods, is once again marvelous here as Mary O'Brien McCann. Kara Konken as Jamie's model wife and Scott Daniel add beautiful vocals and harmonies to the proceedings; they make "Camera Wall" really come to life.

Eric Davis proves once again why he is our local theatre hero. He takes on tough shows and through hard work and sheer creativity makes them come alive. I doubt you will ever see a better production of BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY.

Enough cannot be said of Mike Wood's impeccable lighting. Wood has been behind the lighting of many local shows, and all of his designs are supreme. This show, however, may be his best work yet. He creates the clubby mood of Eighties New York, and videos of home movie birthday parties, despised French celebrities, or even mummies at the Met zoom across the walls at a breathtaking pace. We really get the adrenalin-pumping feel of being in a nightclub and watching Jamie's life zoom by us. It's an experience that should not be missed, and the lighting becomes as important as any character on that stage. Stephen T. Kraack's sound design matches Wood's exquisite work.

Michael Raabe's musical direction rocks, literally, and his musicians should all be applauded: Dick Lange on the 12 string guitar; percussionist Burt Rushing; Paul Stoddard on the electric guitar; Kenny Walker on bass; and Todd W. Olson on keyboard (he also conducted the show). Like the cast, they're stellar. Also of note: freeFall thankfully includes a list of all of the music numbers in the program; this especially helps with lesser-known shows like this one.

Scott Daniel's costumes work well, and the show appropriately looks like an 80's theme party. Megan Morgan's choreography is spot on, the actors constantly in motion, perfectly timed and staged. BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY must be one of the biggest workouts for the cast because they are in nonstop motion and costume changes, rarely pausing for breath. The show's busy, sometimes too busy, but so were the 1980's.

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY plays until March 22nd. For tickets, please call (727) 498-5205.

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