Theater Review by Brian Scott Lipton . . .
Do good things come to those who wait? In the case of Empire Records: The Musical, the extremely entertaining adaptation of the flop 1995 film (aka a “cult classic”) now at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, it only takes 97 minutes to find out if would-be teen lovers Corey (Lorna Courtney) and A.J. (Liam Pearce) will finally express their true feelings, and whether store owner Joe (Michael Luwoye) will be able to stop his small-town record store from getting taken over by corporate conglomerate Music Town; as well as the resolution of way too many other comic and dramatic situations.
As for the musical’s future—especially a Broadway run, which has been in the works for years (and was postponed in part by COVID)—only time will tell. To my eyes and ears, the McCarter production is just about ready. Trip Cullman’s direction is smart and engaging, aided by Ellenore Scott’s evocative choreography. Paloma Young’s period costumes and Adam Honore’s lighting are spot-on. And most importantly, David Rockwell’s re-creation of the store is pitch-perfect (as seconded by my husband, Evan, an indie record-store expert and longtime Tower Records employee).
As for Zoe Sarnak’s 1990s-inspired, rock-tinged score, reminiscent of some of the era’s indie-music hits as well as Rent—it’s highly listenable (if not always memorable), with such songs as “Another Hometown Story,” “One Thirty-Seven,” “Who I Am and Who I Was”; and, especially, the musical monologue, “Scissors” among its standouts.
Luckily for Zarnak, they’re all sung by a dream cast, including the roof-raising Courtney (last seen in the title role of &Juliet); the adorable Pearce (the scene-stealer of How to Dance in Ohio); the extraordinary Samantha Williams as Gina, whose drunken mother has just drained her college fund; the fantastic Analise Scarpaci as the suicidal, tough-but-tender Deb; and the underused Taylor Iman Jones as Max, a former employee turned one-hit-wonder pop star who returns to town as the glorified assistant to former pop idol Rex Manning (a game if slightly miscast Damon Daunno) who is doing an in-store signing, in part due to Corey’s infatuation with him.
And there’s the proverbial rub: the show’s libretto is by Carol Heikkinen, the film’s screenwriter and a first-time “playwright.” While she has changed some elements of the film, what’s on stage still feels like a whole lot of subplots without a major plot to focus on. (That’s also reminiscent of Rent, but it’s not the ideal formula for a musical.)
Moreover, at least a couple of characters (the wacky employee Mark, the shoplifter Warren) feel utterly extraneous here, serving little to no purpose; and a late-in-show confrontation between besties Gina and Corey—due largely to Gina’s financial situation—seems unearned . . . and then too easily forgiven. Moreover, Rex should probably be played and written as comic relief and not as an essentially heinous, misogynistic character.
Still, an experienced dramaturg or playwright would likely be able to clean up Empire Records so it could feel like vintage vinyl, without the scratches, and become a long-playing favorite.
Empire Records: The Musical. Through October 6 at the McCarter Theatre (91 University Place, Princeton, New Jersey). www.mccarter.org
Photos: Daniel Rader
