“High Fidelity” a Flop on Broadway But a Hit in West Boca
By Skip Sheffield
“High Fidelity” was a flop on Broadway but it is a real
treat as revived by Slow Burn Theatre through June 29 at West Boca Raton High
School Performing Arts Center.
The show is based on British novelist Nick Hornby’s 1995
book, which became the basis for a sleeper movie hit in 2000 starring John
Cusack and Jack Black. “High Fidelity” ran only 13 performances on Broadway
before the plug was pulled. My guess is the New York audience didn’t get it. As
a musician and vinyl record fan, I do. It helps to be a fan of rock ‘n’ roll
music, which many older theater-goers are not.
Playing the John Cusack role of small, independent record
shop owner Rob Gorgon is Robert Johnston. Johnston was impressive in a previous
Boca Raton performance for Outre Theatre’s “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” and
he is even more winning this time as feckless twenty-something guy who hasn’t
quite figured out his life. One thing he does know is that he loves his “Last
Real Record Store” and his fellow misfit friends who operate the place. One
thing the enterprise is not is profitable. Some days go by without a single
record sale.
Because of his indecision, lack of communication (except
through mix tapes) and poor career path, Rob’s girlfriend Laura (powerhouse
singer Nicole Piro) is rightfully frustrated. She is so frustrated she decides
to break up with Rob and move out.
This prompts Rob to sing the self-pitying “Desert Island Top
5 Break-Ups,” backed up cheerfully by five former girlfriends (Courtney Poston,
Abby Perkins, Christina Flores, Sandi M. Stock and Kaitlyn O’Neill).
Rob’s geeky friends commiserate with him. They are a quartet
of losers: shy Dick (Bruno Vida of angelic tenor voice); pathetic Bruce, “The
Most Pathetic Man in the World,” or TMPMITW for short (Larry Buzzeo); brash Barry (Sebastian Lombardo), who has a
crappy band he thinks should play in the shop, and a guy with a towering Mohawk
hairdo (Alex Zenoz) who wanders in and out of the action. With friends like these, who needs
enemies?
As it turns out Rob does have an enemy: the smarmy New Age
guru Ian (Noah Levine) who has his sights set on vulnerable Laura. Ian’s biggest
claim to fame was staging an intervention with Kurt Cobain. If you don’t know
the Nirvana principal songwriter and singer you will miss the joke.
Levine’s insufferable egotist is the funniest character in
the show, followed closely by Sebastian Lombardo’s “Sonic Death Money”
band. My favorite number comes in a dramatic role reversal when Larry Buzzeo’s
“Most Pathetic Man” becomes The Boss himself: Bruce Springsteen in “Turn the
World Off (And You On).” The real Bruce Springsteen was in the movie, but
Buzzeo is the next best thing
Tom Kitt, composer of the dramatic “Next To Normal,” has an
everything-but-the-kitchen-sink collection of songs, from folk and ballads to
hard-core punk, all backed up by what I think is the best band ever at Slow
Burn, under the direction of the always-resourceful Manny Schvartzman. For the
record Sandy Poltarack is a killer guitarist and Rupert Ziawinski can do no
wrong on bass.
Sean McClelland’s highly-mobile set is especially ingenious.
The microphone sound wasn’t up to snuff in our preview, but I trust it is
dialed in by now.
If you love John Tesh you will probably not like this show.
If you were born 1975 or later, you probably will. I’m older than that but I
appreciated “High Fidelity” as the ultimate hipster musical that struggles to
answer the question “Do you listen to pop music because you are miserable or
are you miserable because you listen to pop music?
Shows are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $25-$40. Call 866-811-4111 or go to www.slowburntheatre.org.
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