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'Wild Party' in Brooklyn

By Matt Windman, amNewYork Theater Critic
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6:34 PM EST, February 7, 2008

2000 was one of the worst years in musical theater. So bad, in fact, that the Tony for Best Musical went to "Contact," a dance play that was not a musical in any conceivable way. But it did feature one of the most bizarre incidents in musical history -- two separate musicals based on "The Wild Party," an obscure 1928 narrative poem in the public domain, premiering on top of each other.

Joseph March's "The Wild Party" looks at the dark side of Jazz Age decadence. Show folk Queen and Burrs, facing boredom, impetuously decide to throw a lavish party, bringing all types of highbrows and lowbrows into their Manhattan apartment. Eventually, the sexual tension erupts amongst the joint, ending in disaster and death.

Neither of the two versions was well reviewed, but each has cult followings. The Michael John LaChuisa version, which was on Broadway and starred Toni Collette and Mandy Patinkin, tends to be the more famous one. It is for this reason that the Gallery Players of Brooklyn have opted to revive the Andrew Lippa version, which was Off-Broadway and starred Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs.

The Gallery Players, now in its 41st year, stands out as the most professional theater troupe of Park Slope. Its recent production of "Yank!" got raves and is likely to transfer to Manhattan. As expected, their "Wild Party" is a well-staged production with intense performances from a talented ensemble cast.

Their intimate black-box space is perfect for the occasion, with an excellent-six piece jazz band playing above the cast. Even if their period costumes look a bit too ragtag to be credible and some of the cast is too young, this easily stands out as a spirited revival that more than merits a subway ride to Park Slope.

Gallery Players, 199 14th Street, Brooklyn, 212-352-3101, $14-18. Thurs-Sat 8pm, Sun 3pm. Thru Feb 24.