The Engaygement

August 21, 2015

David Auxier-LoyolaThe Engaygement, the new musical with book, lyrics, and music by David Auxier-Loyola, (in which boy-meets-boy morphs into boy-weds-boy legally), is a hybrid—at once a workshop of a new musical play, a showcase for new songs and a cabaret show. While it is an enjoyable evening, the focus is scattered among those three intentions so that none of them is completely realized.

What is most successful is the songwriting. Auxier-Loyola has undeniable talent, wearing his musical influences proudly—a bit of Sondheim here, a bit of Lerner & Loewe (to these ears) there, and some Cy Coleman liberally sprinkled around.  I say this with admiration, not disdain; it’s fun to witness a clever lyricist and versatile composer take these elements and make them his own. The opening song, “Just Another Night,” which develops into four characters singing counterpoint, is fantastic (hurt a bit by overly loud amplification). The patrons of a bar sing of their lot—in the night, if not in life—cruising each other and bemoaning the lack of Mr. Right.

One of those denizens, played by a delightfully funny and touching young  Elliott Mattox, sings “A Piano Bar Confession,” which is a classic and an instant piano bar staple—a hilarious but quasi-gentle letting down of a pursuer of a certain age. Not only does Mattox let us see his awkward embarrassment at having to be so direct, but we also get a glimpse of his ardent admirer through his eyes. This was, for me, the standout of the evening.

Elsewhere, “Realistic Me,” a new take on the “Nobody Does It Like Me” school of belting show tune, is given life and laughs by Colleen Harris, who also shines in “Fight It Out,” a Company-revisited duet with Jason Whitfield, which posits that abrasive truth-telling and lots of drinking is the key to a successful marriage. In the hands of Seph Stanek, “Single & Lovin’ It” is as jaunty as the title suggests, but would be more effective if it were given time for its sentiments to settle before the character jumps into a new relationship—one of the hazards of truncating what will most likely be a 2‑hour musical into a 90-minute cabaret. Co-star Auxier-Loyola has a good voice but an over-earnest style that contributes even more “sameness” to ballads like “Don’t You Worry,” “Like a Perfect Song” and others than they have on paper. He and his on-stage love interest, Stanek, too often perform their songs at audition intensity—hoping, I suppose, to show off the “bigness” of the material at the expense of subtlety. This is not a fault exclusive to this show by any means. Remaining cast member Chris-Ian Sanchez has a bright tenor voice but is underused in this incarnation of the show.

The program notes refer to the book of the show as a new baby. While not exactly stillborn, this baby needs some time in an incubator. Too much happens off-stage and too little on. It seems at times like the structure is an I-love-you song, followed by a fight duet, followed by an I’m-sorry song, then a supporting character sings… repeat. But we never really know the cause of any of them. As a result, some tedium sets in.

Journal entries and poems are employed to move the story along between songs. They don’t; instead, they merely state what is about to be communicated (to much better effect) in the lyrics of the song that follows. Again, this is perhaps a stopgap measure until more book scenes can be written.

Some of the ballads and dramatic numbers lack specificity; the emotions are so generic that they blur together. Sondheim once said that if you just asked him to write a love song it would take him forever to do it, but if you asked him to write a love song about a secretary in a red dress having lunch in a restaurant he would have it right away. The Engaygement needs more red dress songs.

Musical director/arranger Mark York contributes solid work, but I might have liked a bit more harmonizing in the group numbers. The show was directed by Duncan Pflaster.

Metropolitan Room  –  August 14, 19, September 9

Avatar

About the Author

Gerry Geddes has conceived and directed a number of musical revues—including the Bistro- and MAC Award-winning "Monday in the Dark with George" and "Put On Your Saturday Suit-Words & Music by Jimmy Webb"—and directed many cabaret artists, including André De Shields, Helen Baldassare, Darius de Haas, and drag artist Julia Van Cartier. He directs "The David Drumgold Variety Show," currently in residence at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, and has produced a number of recordings, including two Bistro-winning CDs. He’s taught vocal performance at The New School, NYU, and London’s Goldsmith’s College and continues to conduct private workshops and master classes. As a writer and critic, he has covered New York’s performing arts scene for over 40 years in both local and national publications; his lyrics have been sung by several cabaret and recording artists. Gerry is an artist in residence at Pangea, and a regular contributor to the podcast “Troubadours & Raconteurs.” He just completed a memoir of his life in NYC called “Didn’t I Ever Tell You This?”