Hours before filing this column, I went to the world premiere of a musical based on the film Mr. Holland’s Opus. This new musical of the same name was written and directed by our own BD Wong with music by Wayne Barker, and it’s been a passion project for over five years. Since it’s a world premiere, one needs to view it as a work in progress. So, not surprisingly, it has a long way to go. The episodic nature of the story does not lend itself effortlessly to cohesion – which is particularly problematic in the first act. One never gets a handle on anything or anyone, so the audience is never truly invested. How to fuse these elements together is something Wong has yet to crack. An additional wrinkle is the score, which is overly ambitious and not particularly tuneful. Ensemble pieces work well, but little else lands. The second act is far more successful. Not only does it have a more straightforward narrative, it has the advantage of Joshua Castille turning in a touching performance as Holland’s deaf son.
Head and shoulders above everyone in the cast is Anastasia Barzee. What she makes out of Holland’s wife is miraculous. And vocally she turns in a performance reminiscent of Alice Ripley’s in Next to Normal. But the whole show hinges on Mr. Holland, and in that regard, Akron Watson is out of his depth. As an actor, he may be plausible. But as a singer, he is woefully lacking – which is surprising given his credits. Perhaps he was having a bad night. Certainly the idea of an African-American Holland adds an interesting layer to the story (although the woke references in the ‘70s vignette do not ring true). The production and direction are serviceable – except for the entire Cleopatra scene, which must be funnier and more over-the-top (Wong is many things, but he is not what I’d call a laugh riot). What can I say – it’s a mixed bag. It’s not hopeless, but based on what I saw, I’m not hopeful. But check it out for yourself – the run ends on September 10th. For more details, go to OgunquitPlayhouse.org. |
