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The Great Official Subway Musical

nytheatre.com review by John Samuel Jordan
August 15, 2005

Get your tokens (or Metrocards) now for this fast-paced, riotous ride through the New York City subway system. Victor Verhaeghe (book, lyrics, music) and Debra Barsha (music) have put together a very, very funny, short one-act musical entitled The Great Official Subway Musical. I must also give note to Ira Gasman, who wrote the lyrics for the opening number entitled “On the Subway,” which clearly gets things rolling along for this fine production.The story centers on Chris, played by Verhaeghe. His goals in life are to become the first official Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Facilitator and to bring back courtesy to the NYC subway system. After writing 4,000 letters to Mayor Bloomberg, he finally gets the call. This is his journey to the Empire State Building to meet the mayor and begin his new career. And it’s all done to music, with that certain brand of crass, stupid, gross, out-of-the-ordinary humor, which I personally find hysterical. It’s that Leslie Nielsen Airplane/Police Squad kind of humor, with a dash of SCTV and the punch of MAD TV. And Verhaeghe pulls it off perfectly. He has phenomenal help from the scene-stealing Alexandra Williamson as Ginger Sacksabath and Joel Jones as Scott, his love interests. Jones’s “I’m Jazzy!” is a real treat.The ensemble, consisting of Dina Losito, Tony Westbrook, and Mari Micari, though each shine at various moments, was less assured on the night reviewed. They portray a handful of characters, including token clerks, conductors, guards, various members of the Amish community (when Scott and Ginger race to Lancaster, Pennsylvania for an impromptu search) and, strangely enough, Kristy McNichol and Jodie Foster, who are having a secret lesbian tryst in the subway tunnels.The singing is the production's one weakness. But this is a comedy, and a very good one, so I had no problem overlooking that fact. The musical direction by Paul Leschen is fine. And the overall direction by Robert Petkoff is consistent with the style—fast-paced and funny. The show runs just over an hour.Bob Jones is thanked in the program for his brilliant design work. I’m assuming this refers to the wonderful paintings that brilliantly depict the various settings.For an extra treat, be sure to read the entire program. The “Producer’s Disclaimer” is definitely worth a read. Sample: “We reserve the right to parody, mock, or otherwise make fun of whatever crosses our path as a way of dealing with the stress of everyday life. We hope you concur.” This reviewer definitely does.