It was 1928 when Joseph Moncure March's radical and explosive novel "The Wild Party" broke into contemporary literature. Dripping with sexual debauchery and domestic violence, the free-verse text was banned in cities like Boston despite being hailed by critics for its unique narrative.
Nearly 70 years after the novel's publication, composer Andrew Lippa set out to translate the lyrical text into a brassy, sexy, rock-jazz musical. It enjoyed a short off-Broadway run in the spring of 2000 at the Manhattan Theater Club, where it played 88 performances.
Under the direction of Musical Theater Chairwoman Lynne Kurdziel-Formato, UB's Department of Theater and Dance is presenting the first production of "The Wild Party" since its off-Broadway premiere.
Lippa was not the only composer to translate the novel into a musical. Concurrent with his own version, a star-studded rendition of "The Wild Party" by fellow up-and-comer Michael John LaChiusa opened on Broadway. LaChiusa's received more critical attention, but both versions received marginal financial success and closed after a few months. Nevertheless, outlandish characters, a contemporary yet emotional score, and a slew of production numbers made "The Wild Party" a hot commodity for colleges and theaters wanting to produce the piece.
"We've wanted to do (the show) for awhile now," Kurdziel-Formato said. "It's a commercially viable show that's popular with youth."
In the golden age of jazz, prohibition and sexual deviancy portrayed in "The Wild Party," Queenie (Alie Light, senior musical theater major) and Burrs (Danny Korzelius, senior musical theater major) ruled the Vaudeville stage. The singer and clown, respectively, entertained audiences with outrageous song and dance, while their after-show soir?(c)es were littered with orgies and brawls.
Queenie seems to have a lot going for her - until one realizes how unhealthy her relationship with Burrs is. Riddled with fear and envy, she conjures up a scheme sure to enflame Burrs with jealousy: a party.
Enter Kate (junior musical theater major Christine La Duca) and Black, (junior musical theater major Christian Donnelly). A self-proclaimed "smart" prostitute, Kate has her eyes fixed on Burrs from the moment she arrives.
"She plays the game," LaDuca said, of Kate's manipulation. "As a prostitute, she's seen it all and will do what she has to to get what she wants. It's a very 'me, me, me' attitude."
Meanwhile, Black, troubled by Queenie's abusive relationship with Burrs, reaches out to her and offers his help.
Public displays of rage transpire when the two couples intertwine, digging deeper ditches of turmoil. Chaos and bloodshed ensue, and what begins as a freewheeling, fun party, ends in murder and heartache.
During rehearsals for the show, the cast broke from their fast and frenzied choreography to discuss a major challenge in the craft of creating their characters: motivation.
From prostitutes and politicians to singers and composers, all characters use song to have their say to the other guests at the party.
"You all have ulterior motives," Kurdziel-Formato advised. "Play your character."
Meanwhile, the climax of the second act entrenches moral and social behavior with eroticism during the number, "Come With Me." This array of emotions and backgrounds paints March's picture of the roaring 20s with flair and panache.
Michelle Sperazz, a senior musical theater major who plays underage partygoer Nadine, found the choreography for "Come With Me" disconcerting initially.
"My first impression of it was that it was disturbing, since I'm being violated and brutalized," Sperazz said. "But after we did it over and over, I became fine with it. Learning how to act out something I had never done before made me a stronger actor."
Not every college production receives as much attention as a premiere, so it's exciting for the cast to be giving life to a relatively new piece. Lippa will be visiting UB during the show's run and will attend a few performances. The cast, however, doesn't see the writer's visits as anything distracting.
"You need to have that focus for any show, but (Lippa's) visit adds a palpable layer to this production," Korzelius said. "Few composers write well for an actor. His music feeds the correct emotion in the idiom. It's gorgeous. Since he's written the book (script), lyrics and music, there's a cohesiveness about it that is necessary in a show like this."
About Lippa's attendance of the performances, "I feel a huge responsibility to him as a performer to do it justice." Korzelius pauses. "I'm trying not to think about it."
Sophomore musical theater major Adam Zelasko chimed in, "I don't think we'll disappoint."
The Dept. of Theatre and Dance presents the amateur premiere of Lippa's "The Wild Party" from Nov. 14-17 and 21-24 in the CFA Drama Theater. Tickets are $12. The production is directed and choreographed by Lynne Kurdziel-Formato, with musical direction by Michael Hake.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
