"DOGFIGHT," the new off-Broadway musical based on the 1991 indie film of the same title, is in its final week of performances at 2nd Stage Theatre in midtown Manhattan. The story takes us to 1963 San Francisco, where a group of young Marines, enthusiastically portrayed by Derek Klena, Josh Segarra, and Nick Blaemire, are going out on the town one last time before shipping off to Vietnam in the morning. First on the evening’s agenda is for each of them to find the ugliest girl possible to invite to a “dogfight” party, with a cash prize to be awarded to the man with homeliest date. A harmless bit of fun as they see it, since none of the girls will know the true nature of the party... at least that’s the plan.Derek Klena plays Eddie Birdlace, the member of the trio with the most conscience, a commodity in short supply among the group. Birdlace is a more emotional and fleshed-out version of Klena’s very similar character Tommy Ross in the recent off-Broadway revival of "CARRIE.” Klena brings to his current role much greater emotional nuance and a clean and powerful vocal performance.
While I was slightly disappointed that the score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul--while beautiful and very effective--did not give leading lady Lindsay Mendez much of a chance to showcase her jaw-dropping, face-melting vocal chops, she does not disappoint in the least with her heartbreaking, tear-inducing portrayal of Rose, a shy diner waitress who is thrilled to be asked out on her first date, only to learn later the real reason Eddie invited her to the party. There was not a single weak link in the cast, but Mendez and Klena literally had me on the edge of my seat, deeply invested in their characters with their emotional, and at times downright heart-wrenching performances.
If I’ve made it seem like a sob-fest so far, I should note that Peter Duchan’s book also has PLENTY of laughs, with much of the comic relief provided by the hysterically unfortunate dates brought to the dogfight by the rest of the marines, as well as by Rose’s attempts to get Birdlace to quit cursing. (There is quite a bit of foul language in the show, as well as some mature thematic material.) I was surprised to notice a few sound issues at this performance, such as mics not working at times, and a couple apparent missed mic cues, but during the moments when this happened, I only had slight difficulty hearing the actors over the amplified pit ensemble. This goes to prove my constant argument that if orchestras were not so over-amplified, little or no amplification of the actors would be necessary. (Depending, of course, on the size of the house.) I cannot understand why this concept escapes so many Broadway sound designers. That being said, the music and arrangements went from rousing and spirited to haunting and poignant at all the right times, with impressive tight harmonies from the chorus of Marines. As much I appreciated the use of actual string players, if this show gets a Broadway run, (which I REALLY hope it does,) I would expect updated orchestrations with a much larger instrumentation, but I doubt that expectation would be met. The orchestrations are quite sufficient, however, for the 2nd Stage venue.
Quick Notes:
- Who Should See It? Due to language and mature thematic material of a sexual nature, I would recommend this show to anyone over 17.
- Best part of the show? Top-notch cast, and a story that will bring you to tears at times, but not without plenty of laughs.
- Actor/Actress? Again, not a single weak link in the cast, but Lindsay Mendez is phenomenal, and her onstage relationship with Derek Klena develops very believably throughout the show.
- Best Song? I’m going to cop out here and say that the score is very consistently entertaining and effective.
Report Card
Cast: A+
Set Design: A-
Lighting: B
Music (songs): A+
Orchestra: A
Direction: A+
--- This review is done by Mr. B. (Mr. F's good friend and fellow Theatre fan). Mr. B. is a music teacher and has worked on several musicals as both a vocal coach and orchestra conductor/music director. ---
NOTE: Mr. F. will review this show on August 18!
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