So I attended tonight's performance of Ordinary Days at the South Repertory Theatre. I fell in love with the story of a couple of ordinary days in the life four young New Yorkers trying to find the own life story. The story is fun, heart warming, upbeat, and yet encapsulates all the emotions of what it is to be a 20/30 some year old person in today's society.I fell in love with the character of a graduate student named Deb played by Deborah S. Craig (best known for originating the role of Marcy Park in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway.) Deb is a girl from the sub's and moved to New York to do something her life. She find herself unhappy and lost trying to find out what her Big Picture is. She is emotional, spastic, bold, unsure of herself, and seeking tranquility. Basically she reminds me of me (we even had the same hat on). The number in the show that I felt so connected was Big Picture; where Deb talks about how she knows what she wants but does not know how to get it. I completely understand that.
Deb develops an unlikely friendship with Warren played by Nick Gabriel. Warren is 20 something year old artist who works as a house/cat sitter to a not so famous artist. He knows he wants to make a differance and seeks to be noticed in a city on the go. He is very idealistic, and longs to have a fairytale adventure like in the movies. Gabriel and Craig did an amazing job at setting the tone of the show in the first two numbers.
The other storyline of the show is between Clarie and Jason. Clarie played by Nancy Anderson (known for her role of Lois/Bianca in Kiss me Kate on the West End) is a women lost in the past and unsure about her future with her boyfriend Jason played by David Burnham (known for his work in WIcked and in the Light in the Piazza). Jason is a man ready to settle down with Clarie and give her the world only if she would feel the same for him in return. Through Anderson and Burnham gave great performances of all the songs in the piece they did not work for me as a couple. It was hard for me to believe that Clarie was in love with Jason. They seemed like an unlikely match, even though they have some touching moments. On a side note was it just me or does Burnham look like he could be Cheyenne Jackson's brother? (its the smile)One song did not work for me in the show Favorite Places. First of all why did Jason need to play the piano during the song? It was a distraction and smashed the 3rd wall making it more like a concert performance instead of a musical. Playing the piano had nothing to do with the song, the character or the show. Also the song was just a repeat of the same message that was in Jason's other big number Hundred-Story City. We get it he loves Claire and she is the only reason he stayed in New York.
Overall the show was a great little play that will leave you wanting to know what will happen next in these characters lives?
Ordinary Days runs through January 24th at the South Coast Repertory in Coast Mesa CA go see it before it's gone! More Info Click Here.
"Big Picture"-song from Ordinary Days
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