Almost ten years ago, playwright Catherine Filloux took a break from delivering hard hitting dramas that deeply examine the human condition and began working on something far lighter. The genesis was an episode from her mother’s life involving a busload of Amish and another carrying a troupe of crossdressing singers. These vastly different groups were forced to stay at the same motel during a snowstorm.
Now complete with music and lyrics by Jimmy Roberts (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change) and a book co-written by John Daggett, the musical Welcome to the Big Dipper is having its World Premiere directed by DeMone Seraphin at the Theatre at St. Jeans. Even with this unique origin story, almost everything about the dialogue, songs, and movement evokes memories of other shows. Whether you find this humdrum or comforting will depend very much on your love of the musical form in general.
Strictly religious widower Amos King (Robert Cuccioli) is returning from a wedding with his daughter Rebecca (Mia Pinero) and their neighbor, Sarah (Jillian Louis). Trans choreographer Carly (Jayae Riley, Jr.) is taking the Sirens of Syracuse (Pablo Torres and and Darius Harper) fronted by Jacky/Jake Barnes (Michael Yeshion) to The Ladies of the Lake singing contest. After their buses collide during a blinding blizzard not far from Niagara Falls, the city of Bigelow finds them shelter at the Big Dipper Inn. The inn’s owner — Black single mother Joan Wilkes (Debra Walton) — was about to sell her treasured family property to a development firm represented by Bonnie (Jennifer Byrne) in order to cover the cost of college for her brilliant son Dez (Christian Magby). But she removes the “closed” sign from her desk and agrees to provide sanctuary to the travelers. Though they have brought few possessions, there’s baggage aplenty.
Despite their proximity and the wild set-up, there is almost no catalytic energy among the guests. Doorways on wheels in Brian Pacelli’s scenic design facilitate moving between narratives, though the static elements of the set don’t meld easily with all storylines. Slavery, religious devotion, personal ambition, and romantic attachments whiz by without much investigation. Filloux’s drive to understand how people respond to one another in crisis occasionally pokes a hole in the thin fabric of plot. The casting by Michael Cassara is deliberately and appropriately inclusive. But with so many tropes employed, it is hard to determine who is being lifted up and who is being sent up. This is not a reflection on the actors, who all seem committed to the constructs provided. Musical numbers are delivered with polish and passion. Post-performance discussions with represented community members including transgender social organization CDI and the production’s Amish consultant, J.P. Miller, should add much needed perspective. It’s just unfortunate not to be able to experience more of it directly from the work.
If the rush of the modern world has you feeling anxious, settling into the snowy surroundings of the Big Dipper Inn and the singing talents those walls contain provides 90 minutes of shelter from the storm. Though little ground is broken, the kindness of the characters and bow-wrapped epilogue are well-suited to the holiday season.
Welcome to the Big Dipper continues through December 29 at The Theatre at St. Jeans, 150 East 76th Street, between Third and Lexington. (No performance Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.) Tickets can be purchased at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/34375/1730433600000. $20 senior and student Rush tickets are available in-person beginning one hour prior to performances, subject to availability. The York Theatre’s Gen York program also offers $30 tickets for patrons under 35.
The Unforgettable Line 