News

The Wild Party

In print | April 10, 2008

How could sex, drugs, booze, jazz and a crew of vaudeville characters not create a wild party in 1920s Manhattan? Michael John LaChiusa’s musical, “The Wild Party” incorporates all of these elements into one crazy night while simultaneously addressing issues not usually portrayed on the musical stage, such as race and sexuality. It’s hard to imagine another musical more appropriate for Swarthmore campus, and co-directors Jackie Vitale ’09 and Dan Perelstein ’09 along with producer Laura Wolk ’09 and choreographer Carmella Ollero ’09 are bringing the “Party” to the stage during the coming Family Weekend.

At this “Party,” 15 characters from various backgrounds arrive at a party and fill the stage with different subplots all interwoven together. The party’s hosts are the chorine Queenie, played by Sasha Shahidi ’09, and her lover, Burrs, a clown and entertainer played by Jamie Birney ’10. “Queenie and Burrs, who are in an abusive relationship, throw a party to drown their problems and craziness ensues,” Vitale explained.

As the lyrics put it, Burrs tries to soothe Queenie during the party with “Gin. Skin. Sin. Fun.” Hopes of lightening the tension between Queenie and Burrs are the premise for the party, but the relationship is further strained when the mysterious character Black catches Queenie’s eye. Other characters include incestuous brothers, a character that is “ambisextrous” and a prize-fighter and a dancer both past their glory days.

Perelstein and Vitale had expressed interest in running a main-stage production and “Wild Party” seemed like the perfect choice for both them and the cast and the crew, who have had the chance to really pull out al the stops for this production. “Dan and I love the show and love LaChiusa … The show had amazing opportunities for actors and designers,” Vitale said.

“It’s also really relevant,” Perelstein said. “It’s about a community based on people rejected from mainstream society. It has its norms and its outsiders within it just like Swarthmore.”

Perelstein and Vitale juggled a variety of thematic elements, from sex and substance use to cultural identity.

“[The show deals with] the issue of identity and how we create stereotypes that you have to live up to … There is a thin line between performance and reality,” Vitale said. It’s a theme that’s depicted in the visual trope of characters leaving the stage to enter their private bedrooms.

The show is structured much like a vaudeville show, with different modes of performance. Casting for the various parts was difficult not due to the lack of talent but because of the nature of the show. Luckily, however, “people stepped up to the plate,” Vitale said.

Many students who had never participated in musical theater before not only brought new and innovative ideas, but brought a diverse mix to the cast.

Vitale and Perelstein emphasized the merit and talent of their entire cast, their producer, choreographer and the entire crew. As a music student, co-producer Wolk also gave her much valued opinion on what worked on stage both theatrically and musically and managing potential glitches and problems.

Perelstein and Vitale have worked so well together in the past that they have already decided that they would like to start a musical theater collaboration after graduating Swarthmore. Their connection goes beyond working together in shows but also extends to watching theater together. “We think very similarly about theater,” Perelstein said.

“The Wild Party” is unlike many other musicals. The music has its roots in jazz that reflects that era extraordinarily well in all its sauciness and lazy swing.

According to Vitale, the content that the characters deal with consists of very serious issues that are sometimes uncomfortable to see on the musical stage. “I think a lot of people will come and think,” Vitale said.

Many of the situations on stage are more common on the theater stage than the musical stage. Bringing in topics of cultural and societal importance makes this particular musical need to be taken seriously. “It demands to be respected like a piece of theater,” Perelstein said.

Although there will be scenes that will be difficult to watch, and the show is not for the faint-hearted, the co-directors state that they have toned down the show in relation to how the show is written in the script and was produced on Broadway.

“Even if they don’t love musical theater, we encourage people to come see it,” Vitale said.

The talented cast and crew are likely to leave the audience speechless this weekend not only because of the risqué nature of the show, but because of their sheer talent both on stage and behind the scenes.

“The Wild Party” will be shown on April 11 at 8 p.m, April 12 at 8 p.m. and on April 13 at 2 p.m., Pearson Hall Theater.