By Andrew Martin
Chip Deffaa has, for the last two-plus decades, emerged as music and theater’s ultimate Renaissance man. Whether through his work as an entertainment reviewer, author of eight books, an accomplished composer/lyricist, or as the playwright/developer/director of various stage plays and recordings, to say that the gentleman has merely made his mark would be an understatement. His latest effort, Chip Deffaa’s Mad About the Boy, which will continue to run on Sundays at 2 PM and 7 PM at 13th Street Repertory Theater (50 West 13th Street) through May 10th, contains a few uncharacteristic bumps for his catalog. However, these are not unconquerable, and neither is the evening not worth attending. The largest problem seems to be that the first and second acts are presented at utterly opposite ends of the theatrical spectrum; one is a veritable anthem of LGBT independence and artistic expression with a large touch of patriotism, and the other is more a carefully-constructed musical farce. Yet, as this is a workshop/work-in-progress, any wrinkles in Deffaa’s fabric are sure to be easily ironed out over time.
Act One most largely comprises a deliciously-subversive tale of a small group of actors in an Off-Off-Broadway theater, trying their very best to get ready to present a new show in just three days. What unfolds, besides being both entertaining and educational, is a definitive glimpse of modern LGBT culture as told through stories and song; in point of fact, what Deffaa is presenting here is almost a gay version of Hair.Tiptoeing through a mix of the Great American Songbook, patriotic tunes and such original compositions as “Lesbian Madness” by Rick Crom, the cast weaves a marvelous tapestry. There is also a sub-plot involving an anti-gay preacher and his followers. This, following intermission, brings us to the second act, which focuses almost completely on said preacher and the fact that he’s being brought out of the closet. It’s no less dazzling, but it just doesn’t quite seem to align with the action that came before.
That said, however, the cast is for the most part utterly fantastic. (It should be noted that many of the roles are double-cast, and readers of this review might well see parts portrayed by others not depicted here). But Toby Medlyn as the Reverend Billiam S. Love simply IS the second act, and an entertainer upon whom to keep a fervent eye. Likewise Joris deGraaf as Keith when he sings Cole Porter’s “Let’s Misbehave” and the standard “My Buddy.” There’s also Cody Jordan as Seth on “I Ain’t Gonna Give Nobody None Of My Jelly Roll,” and a duet of “He’s So Unusual” performed in tandem with Katherine Paulsen. deGraaf and Jordan equally do a notable duet with “Please, Mr. Hemingway.” Michael Czyz hands in a bravura turn on “Lets All Be Fairies,” and so do John Brady, Michael JC Anderson and Al Roths as cavemen on “Find Me a Primitive Man.” Shinice Hemmings is a more-than-capable vocalist but doesn’t quite get the bottom of her soul when attempting the prowess of such singers as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, and Michael Knowles proves completely riveting if not much of a belter. Remaining performances in varying degrees of glitter were provided by Benjamin Grier, Maite Uzal, and Amanda Andrews. And, it should be noted, that the title number by Sir Noel Coward is rendered gorgeously by deGraaf, Grier and Medlyn. In addition, all of the songs written by Deffaa himself are top-notch, among them “You Need to Be Loved to Be Happy,” “I’m Crazy For My Baby in a Uniform,” his adaptation of the traditional “A Boy in a Boat,” and both “Sidekick” and “Ex-Gay” in the second act. Richard Danley’s effervescent musical direction also deserves a wholehearted mention.
Needless to say, with Chip Deffa’s Mad About The Boy, something extremely exciting may be yet being borne once again upon the stage at 13th Street. It might take a short while to reach perfection, but it is wholeheartedly on the right track.