Robert Petkoff and Pearl Sun in the new musical
The musical begins on a typical weekday morning in present-day New York City. People are pushing and shoving trying to get to work, buying lottery tickets, grabbing cups of coffee, making lists, and racing for various forms of transportation. Suddenly, nine strangers find themselves on a subway car, which stops in mid-journey. But the train is not between stations, it's suspended between worlds, as Stanley (Hunter Foster), a sort of "cosmic conductor," explains to the passengers. The only way they get can off the train is for each to pick the one perfect moment in their lives. Otherwise they will have to ride these spectral rails for eternity.
However, picking such a moment is not all that easy for some of the passengers, who represent a cross-section of New York lifestyles. For example, there's Gina (Jenny Powers), a woman who has spent her life denying her upbringing in order to be one of the "beautiful people." Does she really want to look back at her childhood? There's also Neil and Cindy (Robert Petkoff, Pearl Sun), an interfaith and interracial couple (he's Jewish, she's Chinese), who never really have time for one another, and if they pick different moments, will they ever see each other again? There's also a hard-charging lawyer named Zack (Sebastian Arcelus), who's not supposed to be there and whose fate is a mystery to everyone.
This is certainly an intriguing premise, one that has been used many times before (the work "Outward Bound" certainly comes to mind). But in order for the group to really appreciate the lives they've lived, they must first acknowledge things kept hidden inside for too long, such as Arlene (Joanna Gleason), a conservative talk radio host who long ago lost her faith; or Zack, who realizes that all his struggles to get to the top (i.e. making partner at his firm) have left him with nothing to show for his life.
The message the show is trying to impart, which it does quite nicely, is that it's important for people to take time to appreciate the simple things in life before all one is left with is regrets. Indeed, just about everybody's moment revolves around small, or very personal circumstances, such as Miguel (Miguel Cervantes), a divorced bike messenger, being there for his daughter (Lina Silver); a wheelchair-bound woman named Helen (Phyllis Somerville) recalling when she danced with a serviceman during World War II; or an aging doorman (Fred Applegate) remembering the time he and his dad (James Moye) were at the ballpark watching the 1954 World Series.
The real star of the show is Weidman's book, with writing that is crisp and strong, with each of the characters, many of whom initially seem like stereotypical figures, quickly becoming quite familiar and real.
The only problem with the show (and it's a big one) is that the score is pretty much forgettable. Fortunately, the feelings and impressions the situations evoke are touching and poignant, making one root for the characters to finally have a happy ending and reach some closure in their lives.
Direction and choreography by Susan Stroman is quite good, keeping the story moving nicely, allowing each of the actors a chance to shine as their characters experience a wonder they never thought they would ever feel again. Although a major plot twist is revealed perhaps a bit too early, the entire experience makes for quite an enjoyable evening. Credit also must go to Stroman for creating the realistic feel of a New York City morning, as well as that of being stuck in a crowded subway car.
The entire cast is excellent. Standouts include Somerville, who gets to strut her stuff on the dance floor; Gleason, whose character gets to go back to a time when she really believed in ideals; and Powers (who has a lovely singing voice), as a woman who at last embraces what she has denied all her life. Foster also works well as the mysterious conductor who, in a biting song and dance number, looks back at his own past, finally realizing his current job isn't so bad.
The set by Thomas Lynch is very good. Costumes by William Ivey Long and lighting by Donald Holder work well. There are a couple of bumps along the way, but this is one show that never really goes off the rails and is definitely worth checking out.
Also in the cast are Ken Page, Idara Victor, Alessa Neeck, Alan H. Green, Patrick Cummings, Alexander Scheitinger, Ana Maria Andricain, and Robb Sapp.
Happiness
Lincoln Center Theater at the Mitzi E. Newhouse
150 West 65th Street
Tickets: 212-239-6200 or www.telecharge.com
Information: www.lct.org
Running Time: Approximately 1 hour, 50 minutes
Closes: June 7, 2009
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
