I saw 'Hardbody' during its brief Broadway run last year. I remember thinking its simple and stark staging, unconventional music, and odd story, would probably thrive in community theater if it did not take on Broadway.
The truck is there in all its "drop dead, cherry red, extra-room-there-in-her-bed" glory, but more importantly, the Albany show has an ensemble of excellent regional actors that do a terrific job of turning a little Texas town into a microcosm of America and portraying the tale of strange contest as an allegory for all of our hopes and dreams.
Musically, this can be tricky because these songs, despite their down-home vibe, are not simple. Still, even if you do not get the Broadway-caliber high notes in "Born in Laredo" and low notes in "If She Don't Sleep" the actors do some fine work, especially in the smaller, talking scenes that carry big weight. That is the real benefit of seeing the show on the smaller stage.
Yet it does get big in all the right places. When the whole cast is singing "Joy of the Lord" (led by a terrific Dashira Cortes as Norma) and banging on the truck like a giant percussion instrument, surely downtown Albany felt its reverberations. And when the cast joins together in gorgeous harmony on the first two numbers and the finale, it is enough to give you chills because the talent on display is so up close and vibrant.
And what talent, indeed! Molly Rose McGrath brought sass and a powerhouse voice as Heather; Victoria Meade was fiercely plucky as Kelli and sang her heart out with Steve Raymond on my favorite song of the show, "I'm Gone". Though Mr. Raymond held back on his high notes his portrayal of Greg was full of energy and excitement, and his flying leaps from the truck were awesome.
Don Meehan was spot on as Benny, arrogantly taunting his way to the top three, and partnering with J.D., played by Steve Fletcher, down-home and likable as he struggled with time's effect on his body, his marriage (Benita Zahn displaying the emotional toll on Virginia) and his world.
Phish phan Doug Nyman showed Mike's desperation to sell more trucks in a down economy, while Meredith Meyers cranked up Cindy's cheesy charm before sternly taking charge.
Through it all Marc Christopher breaks the tension as the one-man Greek Chorus, chiming in as each contestant drops out, and belting out the uber-country titular song.
I still wish I liked "It's a Fix" as a song because it is Janis' key moment, though Victoria Grazioli's gave it her all as the wise hillbilly (along with Joe Phillips as her cheerleading husband), even if she had a hard time with some of her notes.
Also, the play drags a bit in the second act. Once the contestants start dropping off, the momentum needs to keep rolling. Not editing (like in the controversial Houston show), just a quicker pace. Trust that the audience cares for the characters and do not require extra dramatic pauses. As much of a treat it is to see Ronald (Jonathan Rion Bethea, who knocked his song out of the park in the first act and dug deeper at the end) and Chris (John Ford-Dunker as the hardened Marine who gets show-stoppingly vulnerable) back in the fold assisting Norma, the show needs to ramp up to its climax.
But that finale. Lordy, how I love "Keep Your Hands on It". Everyone's story gets wrapped up to a catchy, heart tugging mid-tempo number that soars with its simple metaphor about how to get and keep what and whom you love. When a huge ensemble is standing mere feet in front of you harmonizing the last refrain gloriously, I defy you to not get as choked up and misty-eyed as I did.
That is community theater at its best. The original show's tagline was "A new musical, made in America." Here's hoping for a long life for 'Hands on a Hardbody' in community theaters as a musical that has *stayed* in America.
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