Theatre review by Ron Fassler…
That Parenting Musical, a new show that opened on Broadway on Theatre Row September 12th, is ostensibly about having some fun and maybe a little drama on the ups and downs of raising a child in these modern times. It’s a noble effort, perhaps better suited to a revue, though this one makes the attempt at creating a book musical. It pains me to report that it doesn’t succeed in creating characters that are anything but paper thin and goes about as deep as the shallow end of a kiddie pool.
As a parent myself to two grown children, I’m deeply familiar with the pain and joy of raising kids and I was really hoping for more things I could relate to. But by overshooting the mark, this is neither all that entertaining nor insightful. With this sort of material it’s almost impossible to avoid cliches, but did they still have to include so many of them?
Vidushi Goyal, Natalie Bourgeois, and McKenna OGrodnik in “That Parenting Musical.”
It’s the brainchild of Graham Fuller and his wife Kristina Fuller, who share credits as co-book, music, lyrics and co-arrangers. This is their first effort at anything outside their home base in Colorado and sadly, it doesn’t feel ready to compete with the kind of theatre to which New Yorkers are accustomed. Though well directed by Jen Wineman, who also is responsible for the choreography, a talented cast can’t push it past the finish line. They’re hobbled by material that doesn’t pass the test. The music and lyrics are trite and the efforts made to cobble together a coherent storyline is unconvincing.
It begins with a couple (McKenna Ogrodnik and Dwayne Washington) who conceive two children pretty quickly. They have a single female friend (Natalie Bourgeois), who eventually brings a boyfriend into the story (Brian Owen) and the two sibling toddlers (Max Crumm and Vidushi Goyal), mature as far as one of them making it to Kindergarten graduation. We get numbers dealing with everything from “dooty-pies and snots” to rhyming “feces” with “Reeces” (as in “pieces”). By attempting to work in all different styles of music in its score (rap, Gilbert and Sullivan, Broadway, rock and folk), the overall effect is a mishmash, lacking consistency.
Max Crumm and Natalie Bourgeois in “That Parenting Musical.”
The songs let the actors down time and again and, by extension, the audience. I did enjoy one number in Act One, “Glide,” where a father sings a lullaby to his child. Finally, a song that was relatable on a primal level. There was a memorable number in Act Two as well titled “All I Ever Wanted.” Both were simple and straightforward and not attempting anything more than what could be achieved. But that really was it for anything that stood out among two dozen songs.
The hardworking cast deserves better but there’s no other way to say it: they’re trapped in an amateur night. Lyrics included such lofty ideals as “kicking the world in its ball sack” and an overall message in the final song that added up to “it won’t be very easy but it’s worth the climb.” Really? After two hours, that’s it?
Tim Mackabee’s scenic design is lovely and Tina McCartney’s costumes and Alan C. Edwards’ lighting are all proficient. The sound by Jessica Paz seemed a little hot, but as I attended its very first preview, perhaps that’s something that will be adjusted.
All in all, it’s a shame that That Parenting Musical misses the opportunity for something that could have better hit the mark.
That Parenting Musical is playing on Theatre Row, Theatre 3, 410 W. 42nd Street, NYC. For further information, please visit: https://thatparentingmusical.com.
Photos by Maria Baranova.