Reviews

A Ring in Brooklyn
Academy for New Musical Theatre at NoHo Arts Center

Whether it’s dreaded or welcomed, nearly all of us have received one. Usually arriving in an innocuous-looking envelope, it’s an invitation to one’s high school reunion. Germinating from this all-American seed is this razor-sharp script by playwright-lyricist Eric Dodson and composer Alan Ross Fleishman. During this well-paced production, helmed and choreographed by Joshua Finkel, the past- and present-day mischief of a half-dozen former classmates comes to light during a gathering marking the decade since their graduation. And to think it’s all about a small ring that changes hands faster than a speeding bullet!
   Dodson’s characters are a stable of standards, and yet each cast member does a yeoman’s job of rising above what might have been mere caricatures. Leading the pack is Gabrielle Wagner as Gina, whose marriage to the only non-classmate in the group seems to border on the mundane. Mike Irizarry is a hoot as Gina’s sports-obsessed spouse, who spends most of the show trying to make heads or tails of the chaos surrounding him. Jordan Kai Burnett spins gold with the role of Gina’s best friend, the quintessential Brooklyn single girl. Burnett and Wagner’s chemistry is utterly believable and riotously funny. In particular, their first-act closer, “So Not Seventeen,” in which they are joined in the ladies’ room by Anna Hanson in a delicious turn as the class slut, is a showstopper as the trio catfights its way through Dodson’s wickedly ingenious lyrics.
   Meanwhile, Smitty, the class jock, comes to life in the hands of Mark Shunock, who capitalizes on this water polo athlete’s unexpectedly intellectual maturity. As the tale unfolds through various flashbacks, it’s revealed that Smitty enjoyed a closeted relationship with Tommy, a now-deceased member of the class. Shunock’s scenes with Matt Valle as Tommy are given a special poignancy, topped beautifully by their rendition with Wagner of the heartwarming “If I Were You.”
   Rounding out this disparate group is Johnny Cannizzaro’s cute-as-a-button performance as the class nerd, who, although having blossomed into manhood, still lacks self-confidence. Cannizzaro and Shunock show off Finkel’s choreography with style in the double entendre–filled “Magic Wand.”
   Working well are Michael Hoffman’s scenery, moved about the stage by the cast, and Coby Chasman-Beck’s lighting, which delineates the story’s numerous scene changes. Body microphones would help the audience catch every last one of Dodson’s intricate lyrical choices over the onstage combo ably led by music director Ross Kalling.

Reviewed by Dink O’Neal

LA WEEKLY says “GO” 

GO SEE A RING IN BROOKLYN: A FRICKIN' MUSICAL It's the 10-year reunion for the class of Brooklyn's FDR High School, and the past and present are about to collide. Gina (Gabrielle Wagner), Jenn (Jordan Kai Burnett) and the flashy class slut, Tracy (Anna Hanson), are only minutes into dancing, drinking and girly reminiscences when attentions turn to a promise ring given to Gina long ago on a "special night." But this piece of jewelry has been lost, so to speak, and returning it to its rightful owner becomes an obsession, wittingly or unwittingly, for everyone. Eric Dodson's book caroms back and forth between 1979 and 1989, telling the why and how of the ring and its importance in the lives of these classmates. It's a clever piece of storytelling (though slightly overwritten) that also includes some surprising plot twists. And it's not all about the gals. Gordy (a fine Mike Irizarry), Smitty (Mark Shunock), Ronny (Johnny Cannizzaro) and Tommy (Matt Valle) also are part of this humorous, improbable tale. The operative word here is fun. Dodson's lyrics and Alan Ross Fleishman's laid-back blend of jazz, disco and R&B music make for easy listening, and director Joshua Finkel's cast turn in solid performances.
Lovell Estell III, LA WEEKLY