REVIEW: Indie Musical Opens in Palo Alto

Saturday night the World Premier of ‘Fly By Night’ opened the 2011-2012 Theatreworks season in Palo Alto’s Lucy Stern theater.

An indie rock musical that was the highlight  of the 2010 New Works Festival, has been worked, reworked and  massaged into the hit production it is today.

Set in the months leading up to the massive 1965 blackout of New York and the better part of the eastern seaboard, the story is ‘about a triangle of two women and one man’ as is described by the narrator, Wade McCollum.  The narrator is on stage throughout the play, seemingly disappearing at times and active when necessary.  He takes on many parts and does them seamlessly.  The other thing he can do is to sing, really well.

“It’s hard to know where to begin ” the opening line of the show , gives credence to the tale being told in some flashbacks and some flash forwards.

Harold, played by Ian Leonard, an unhappy sandwich maker, whose mother has recently died, wants more out of life, but he isn’t sure what. Two sisters from  Hill City, South Dakota, Daphne, played by Rachel Spencer Hewitt and Miriam, played by Kristen Stokes, come to New York.  Daphne, to find her future as a STAR on Broadway, and Miriam, (who is perfectly happy and content to be a waitress in a coffee shop) because her mother wants  her to expand her vistas and to keep Daphne company.

Daphnes’ first job on Broadway is in retail selling coats, Harold comes in to buy a coat for his mother’s funeral.  They fall in love and marry. Daphne gets a job with a new play and playwrite as the leading lady, spending much time rehearsing.

Harold writes a song,’ Circles in the Sand’ and plays it in a small bar, still not knowing what to do.  Miriam meets Harold just before the wedding and the two are attracted to each other.

Miriam meets a strange fortune teller who prophecy for her is a huge rise and fall.  Her song’ Stars I Trust’ shows her vulnerability and her confusion about Harold. 

The many little snippets of lives come together at the end to make a full story, one with an unhappy ending, but leaves us with questionable hope.

Humerous, irreverent, tuneful, wonderfully acted, interestingly staged -- an evening at the theatre not to be missed.

An All-New Musical                                                   

FLY BY NIGHT                                                                         

Conceived by Kim Rosenstock                                              

By Will Connolly, Michael Mitnick,&

Kim Rosenstock

July 13-August !3

Lucy Stern Theatre, Palo Alto

2 Hours and 40 Minutes

650-463-1960