‘Mystic Pizza’ – Based on the MGM movie ‘Mystic Pizza’, with story and characters by Amy Holden Jones. Directed by Casey Hushion, Choreography by Liz Ramos, Additional Music Staging by Connor Gallagher, Orchestrations and Music Supervision by Carmel Dean, Music Direction by Kristin Stowell, Scenic Design by Nate Bertone, Lighting Design by Richard Latta, Sound Design by Kevin Heard; Costume Design by Jennifer Caprio; Wig Design by Roxanne De Luna. Presented by the Ogunquit Playhouse through October 7th.
By Linda Chin
The much-anticipated world premiere production of Mystic Pizza: A New Musical at Ogunquit Playhouse brings together two cultural highlights of the 80s and 90s: the film Mystic Pizza (1998) that launched then unknown 21-year old actor Julia Roberts’ career, and the music video Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1984) that propelled Cyndi Lauper’s iconic career (and became not only her signature song but a feminist anthem for girls of all ages). Add a venue where starving audiences and artists can safely participate in live performance again, and you get a summer 2021 theater trifecta – a perfect storm of a production.
Bravo to Ogunquit Playhouse for figuring out the secret sauce, because wow – with Mystic Pizza they deliver a delicious product and much-appreciated TLC. From the bevy of volunteers (several donning their multiple service pins as proudly as the merit badges of their youth) who direct you to the proper parking area, hand out physical (!) programs, scan tickets, and usher you to your two-seat pod, to Executive Artistic Director Bradford T. Kenney’s pre-curtain remarks acknowledging the tremendous support and collaboration needed for a show to go on, you are made to feel welcome. The storied Playhouse is synonymous with artistic excellence, but this production rises above the challenges of our coronavirus times. Scenic Designer Nate Bertone (most recently having done Ogunquit’s Margaritaville) just keeps outdoing himself, transforming the simple but lavish Leary Pavilion into a small fishing village, complete with a neon signs for the local vendors (pizza place, seafood shacks, watering hole), shop windows for the musicians, and a ‘Welcome to Mystic, Connecticut’ sign faithfully reproduced from the original.
Mystic was (and is) a predominantly working-class community; its year-round population (including Portuguese-American immigrants) swells in the summer with a predominantly Caucasian country club set. Sisters Daisy (Krystina Alabado) and Kat (Kyra Kennedy) Araujo, and best friend JoJo (Gianna Yanelli) Barbosa – working as waitresses at the small town’s struggling local pizza place owned by Leona (Rayanne Gonzales) – are at the heart of this coming of age story. Charles (Corey Mach), Tim (Joel Perez), and Bill (Garrett Marshall) play the young women’s love interests. Mystic Pizza: A New Musical offers slices of their life experiences – and delivers the messages of how people of different ages, cultures and classes share the dreams of having their lives filled with love and meaning, told in an honest, non-cheesy way.
Bravo to Sandy Rustin, who adapted Amy Holden Jones’ original screenplay for the stage, director Casey Hushion, choreographer Liz Ramos, Connor Gallagher for additional musical staging, Carmel Dean for orchestrations and music supervision, and musical director Kristin Stowell. Whereas the original announcement for the film’s adaptation for the stage touted compositions by Melissa Etheridge, this creative team brilliantly developed a jukebox musical, with hits from John Mellencamp, Huey Lewis, Van Morrison, The Supremes, Fine Young Cannibals, Tiffany, Bryan Adams and Starship – and in story and song, theme, tone, and tempo, hints of some of my favorite films and musicals – Waitress, In the Heights, Working, Mamma Mia, Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages, with a little Good Will Hunting and Ratatouille (and a new favorite, Cinderella) mixed in. My admiration and gratitude to the creators for adding this story about Portuguese-American immigrants to the American musical theatre canon.
This production is not without its kinks, with the storytelling a bit confusing at times. For the early parts of Act 1, I thought Leora (the pizza parlor’s owner) was the sisters’ mother, and got the sisters mixed up. While I laud the multi-cultural casting (Julia Roberts playing the lead role of Daisy, would not go over well in 2021), I also found myself confused at times when some of the actors played roles (e.g. Charles’ upper class dad) that contrasted their own physical characteristics. And overall, there is a lot going on and the staging could have both been tightened to support audience focus, and expanded (e.g. with scenes played stage left and right) to add variety and optimize the gorgeous set.
Besides Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Freeway of Love in Act One and Hit Me With Your Best Shot were standout numbers. And the closing Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now performed by the full company may well become Ogunquit Playhouse’s new anthem. For tickets and more info, go to: http://www.ogunquitplayhouse.org/
Hi! I’m the costume designer for this show and I notice that at the top when you credit everyone, you don’t credit myself or our wig designer, Roxanne De Luna. Yet you credit the rest of our design team. Can you please amend? The clothes and hair were not brought out of the actors closets or done by themselves. Thank you.