This is the original review for Musical! The Musical when it was running at the Royal George Theatre. The show is now in an open run at the Theatre Building
Long-form improvisation is one of the many things that set Chicago theatre aside from other cities. In case you've never seen long-form improv, this is how it works: take a group of improvisers, add a plot suggested by the audience, sustain it for an entire evening as a two-act play, and you have long-form improv. Musical! The Musical, at the Royal George, true to the form, adds to the fun in a different way.
Groups such as the Free Associates have taken this form and run with it. They have made their reputation with literary spoofs of authors such as Charlotte Bronte, William Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams among others. What makes this brand of comedy different from something you might see at Second City, for example, is the lack of a safety net.
Director Nancy Howland Walker has developed something new, something I can actually say I have never seen before. A completely improvised two-act musical based on audience suggestions. The company of actors take the stage, introduce the format and take suggestions. As soon as the subject of the show is decided (the night I was there it was Leave it to Beaver! The Musical), Musical Director Luke Nelson launches into a completely improvised overture, and the fun starts. The show moves (sometimes plods) along, and just when you're wondering how they will wrap up Act One, the act closing number begins. The show follows all the typical musical theatre conventions (which in a comical way, points up the absurdity of the genre) and eventually resolves itself nicely.
Actor/Singers Randall Gary Craig, Michael Butler Murray, Mike Shreeman, Jason Sperling, and Ms. Walker are all capable singers as well as accomplished comedians. There were some missteps during the performance I saw, but that is to be expected with a completely unscripted art form that only relies on the creativity and quick thinking of the actors. As fun as the show is, it is improved by masterful accompaniment from its Musical Director, Luke Nelson.
Musical! The Musical is currently scheduled to run through the end of September, but will continue to run in other venues once it's Royal George run concludes. This is the kind of show you can see repeatedly, because it will be different at every single performance. If you are a fan of comedy and the musical theatre, go see this. It's a fun thing to do on a weekend.