With the constant flow of war horse musicals being produced over and over again, it was a nice breath of fresh air to observe a new musical right in here in Dallas. Even with errors and some pitfalls within the score, Shades of Grey is still quite entertaining.

Composer Brent Black used the same idea that Jason Robert Brown did for Songs for a New World. Black's show is an evening of songs with no common theme or format connecting them together whatsoever. It's sort of a musical revue, but without a singular theme. Black's score is a mixed bag of solid songs and a few clunkers. The music has overtones of William Finn, Stephen Sondheim, and Jason Robert Brown. There is pop, rock, and even rap. The bulk of the score is indeed entertaining. Out of the thirteen songs, some of the standouts are "My Magical Place," "The Roommate Song," "The Grand Theft Auto and Song," and "Inmates." But not all of them are winners; Some that slow the flow are "Bad to You," "What's so Funny?," and "Kailey's Song".

Black's strongest forte lies within his lyrics. The guy can write some very witty stuff. The lyrics have solid subtext and truly create full characterizations for the majority of the numbers. Considering this is his first score, Black has done a fantastic job as a composer - his work is fresh, new, and actually has quite a bushel full of laughs.

Sadly, the musical score is taped and that hinders the production a lot throughout the evening. With a live band the scene changes would have been fast and quick. Here, the audience has to sit in the dark for what seems like minutes just so that they can place a simple table or bean bag on stage. You could also sense at times several of the performers anticipating the beats and flow of the taped music. This severely wounds the creation of "live" theater, keeping the performers from being in the moment with both the audience and the score, as they must keep a constant ear to the taped music so as not to lose their place.

The entire cast delivers entertaining work, though when it comes to the full company numbers, the diction and volume are problematic. Lyrics are slurred or swallowed, making it difficult to know what is being said. It doesn't help that the volume of the taped music is quite loud, especially for such a small space as the Pocket Sandwich. This is a problem with several of the solos. In one song, "Inmates," one of the actors has such a soft singing voice that I just could not hear him over the loud music. Thankfully, these mistakes are few.

Aaron Kozak, Tyler Jones, and Ben Bryant provide the best performances of the evening, in particular Kozak. In "The Roommate Song," Tyler Jones sings about his roommate who is addicted to Internet porn. With Black's hilarious lyrics, Jones knows how to add the perfect facial expression to create even more laughter. Jones also has one of the best singing voices of the night to add to his highly entertaining performance.

Ben Bryant does not have a major solo per se, but the talented thespian does get to portray an array of characters, from a geek asking the cheerleader out to a dance to a Walgreen's supervisor with a teenage girl having the hots for him. Bryant's wonderful display of comedic timing and pace assists him in providing a stand out performance.

Aaron Kozak has the best solos in the score and sings with a clean, tenor voice supported with a firm vibrato. To add another level of technique, he also has a charming falsetto that is crystal clear. Kozak's impeccable comedic timing, pace, and delivery help him knock all of this solos right out of the ballpark. His facial expressions bring more loud laughs as he whips through Black's lyrics. One song is about drugs while another one is about an addiction to a video game; thanks to Kozak's talents, both of these songs are showstoppers.

Go see Shades Of Grey at Pocket Sandwich Theatre, because I have a strong suspicion that this is not the last we've heard of Brent Black and the amazing talent and gift in the art of composing musical theater he possesses.

Shades of Grey runs through September 24th. Optional dinner service begins at 6:30 with curtain at 8pm Thursday thru Saturday (excluding first weekend.) and 5:30 optional dinner service with a 7pm show on Sundays. Tickets range from $8-$16 depending on night of the week. $2 discount for students with student ID and seniors. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 214-821-1860. More info is available at www.pocketsandwich.com and www.shadesofgrayshow.com.

Shades of Grey
Music and Lyrics By Brent Black
Pocket Sandwich Theatre
Directed by Brent Black
Choreography by Lisa Cotie
Scenic Design by Rodney Dobbs
Lighting Design by Mandy Welch
Costumes by Jane Goodman

CAST:
Ben Bryant, Lee Jamison, Tyler Jones, Aaron Kozak, Marilyn Setu, Kenneth Sparks, Carly Waddell, Denton Waddell.

--John Garcia