Theater Review: [title of show]

Photos by Maya Eva

Barcelona’s Jocular Theatre is dedicated to producing theatrical works in English with professional talent. This winter, the company celebrates its 20th production with a rollicking performance of [title of show] — the Tony-nominated musical by Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell — and a cast that more than lives up to the show’s absurd brilliance.

Early on in [title of show], there’s a line that effectively sums up what the show is actually about: “a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical.” This should tell you a little something about the kind of comedy [title of show] is — one brimming with laugh-out-loud gags while simultaneously breaking all the conceptual rules of what a piece of theater can be.

Pontificating aside, [title of show] is really a delightful romp, with a premise so gloriously absurd no normal synopsis could ever do it justice. It manages to cram in countless side-splitting songs, as well as witty, poignant dialogue into one 90-minute act, thanks to a cast who more than do the unashamedly self-referential book justice. It’s a show that takes the idea of “metatheater” to its logical conclusion, before pulling it apart and making fun of its remains.

Written in 2004 by Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell, [title of show] began as a hastily put together piece for the inaugural New York Musical Festival. With the deadline for submissions three weeks away, the pair eschewed traditional methods of writing — adapting a book or a film perhaps — and instead decided to make a musical that chronicled the show’s real-life creation.

While this might sound like a postmodern joke (even its name [title of show] feels more like a concept than something that could ever be a hit) the production became a genuine success, eventually earning the Broadway run that the pair long for throughout the show. It has now been performed across the world, from Berlin to Buenos Aires, and lands here in Barcelona at Teatre Almeria for a limited engagement this month.

Jocular Theatre’s production stars Adam Jacques and Daniel Ewing as Jeff and Hunter, the two struggling creatives who end up writing the show. They enlist the help of actor friends Heidi (Ella Galt) and Susan (Alex Borstein) and their resident pianist Larry (Julian Jahanpour), who all play their part in dramatizing the creation and development of the musical, along with all the triumphs and tribulations that arise throughout the process.

Director Joshua Zamrycki brings this production to life by keeping the dialogue tight and letting the cast play to its strengths. Choreography is kept to a minimum, reserved for its comedic value only, allowing the cast’s stellar singing and impeccable timing to take center stage. Alex Borstein, a two-time Emmy Award winner for her role on Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the voice of Lois Griffin on the hit animated series Family Guy, should get a special mention here for her relentlessly dry wit. She receives the biggest laughs of the night, even on more run-of-the-mill lines.

As with all great comedy, the script was certainly not bereft of poignant moments. Comments on the all-too-real struggles of balancing authentic artistic expression with financial pragmatism appeared at the choicest moments. The song 'Die, Vampire, Die!' perfectly conveys this delicate balance of light and dark. At first it seems completely absurd (as the title suggests), but it quickly becomes a wickedly observant analogy for those niggling voices that can wheedle their way into your mind, filling you with doubt and insecurity, standing in the way of you and your creative self-expression.

However, far from leaving in despair, [title of show] left me feeling joyous, dazzled by a cast who shimmered with charisma. It’s a show that will make you laugh, think and ask yourself: How on earth did they write a musical about that? … And how in hell did they make it so good?!

“[title of show]” runs from January 31 - February 17 at Teatre Almeria (Metro L4 Joanic). More info and tickets here.

[title of show]

Music and Lyrics by Jeff Bowen

Book by Hunter Bell

Directed by Joshua Zamrycki

Featuring Adam Jacques, Daniel Ewing, Ella Galt, Alex Borstein, Julian Jahanpour

Assistant Director Annie O’Callaghan

Vocal Director Mariana Chamorro

Lighting Design Michael Harper

Video Animation David Güell

Publicity Design Frankie De Leonardis

Crew Production Assistant Zachary Jost

Props & Costumes Kristina Borg

Run Crew Georgina Grisold, Holly Duncan, Victoria Simons