By David Gordon
“Amused,” a jukebox musical comedy by seniors Ben Myers and Tyler Richardson, is opening Friday evening in the Spiegel Theatre. The semi-staged production (directed by Myers; musical direction by Richardson) is sponsored by the University’s Masquerade Musical Theatre Company, although it’s being produced independently of the company.
Myers and Richardson developed the idea for Masquerade when the club was going through a financial rough patch. “They were looking for a revue,” says Myers, in the midst of the first rehearsal with a piano accompanist. “Our original idea was Broadway music through the ages; our final draft sort of follows the same format.”
“Amused” revolves around Tom Roberts, an eccentric musical genius in the midst of composing his third “sure-to-be-a-hit” Broadway score. But, like all artists, he’d rather have artistic success than commercial; that’s where the mysterious Muse he’s been seeing comes in. Meanwhile, his fiancee, Broadway diva Vanessa Templeton, flanked by two extraordinarily gay henchmen, is in the process of planning her wedding…and taking Tom for all he’s worth, in more ways than one.
The show is a backstage comedy in the vein of “Kiss Me, Kate.” The score is comprised of showtunes from all generations, written by the likes of Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim and Jonathan Larson. They range from the well known (“Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” by Jule Styne and Leo Robbin, from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” sung by the gay henchmen, naturally) to the obscure (“The Devil’s Got Your Number” from “Blood Brothers,” a musical still running in London after 20 years, written by Willy Russell.)
The cast of 11, entirely made up of members of Hofstra’s Department of Drama and Dance, features four upperclassmen; the rest are freshmen. Senior Louis Aquiler plays Jeremy Paleview, the director of Tom’s musical.
“I’m usually stressed out of my mind and very often yelling at actors,” says Aquiler of his character, “but it’s all part of the theatrical process and my love of the stage gets me through it.”
“The show is a tribute to musical comedy,” begins Aquiler. “It’s a loving homage/humorous jab at the simple, yet heartfelt plots that have won us over for the better part of a century on Broadway.”
Danielle Thomas (Vanessa) encourages the audience to sit back, relax and have fun. “Don’t over-think it.”
Christian Titus, who plays Tom, echoes the sentiment. “Not to mention that there are some really talented singing voices.”
“The audience can certainly expect to be “amused,” says Christopher D’Amato, his tongue firmly planted in his cheek.
With the theme of “Amused” being an artist finding his voice, Myers and Richardson hope that the show will inspire others to find their own voices and produce original work on campus.
Admission is free, though donations are suggested. “So that way there’s a kitty for someone next year,” says Myers.