Uptown Players | Dallas, Texas




The Last Session
September 6–29, 2002

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Photographs by George Wada

After making waves in New York and Los Angeles, the cult musical The Last Session, created by Steve Schalchlin and Jim Brochu, made its Dallas debut!

We were delighted to welcome Steve Schalchlin and his family to the opening night; which attracted a full house and fulsome reviews.

Cast: Scott A. Eckert; Ted Wold; Denise Lee; Sara Shelby-Martin; and Jeff Kinman.

Review

Elaine Liner, Dallas Observer

The Last Session, being done now by the Uptown Players at the Trinity River Arts Center, is top-notch all around, a bitter, funny, surprisingly touching little musical that sends you out not humming the tunes, but brimming with the emotions they stir up.

Themes of the piece are acceptance and forgiveness. Gideon (played by Scott A. Eckert), a gay pop-music writer and publisher once known as "the Baptist Barry Manilow',' invites backup singers Tryshia and Vicki (Denise Lee, Sara Shelby-Martin) to help him record some new compositions in a small basement studio in Burbank. Only he and recording engineer Jim (Ted Wold) know that it is the eve of Gideon's planned suicide. Years of fighting AIDS have left him depleted and hopeless, and he seems determined to use this musical soiree as "the perfect last meal".

Each song Gideon and the singers lay down reveals a little more about his life story. They're preceded by short monologues spoken to Gideon's absent lover, Jack. Goodbye notes for other friends are all ready, too, waiting to be handed out by engineer Jim after Gideon's fatal dose of pills has done its work.

With music and lyrics by Steve Schalchlin and book by Jim Brochu, The Last Session is rich with musical high points, but its plot is wispy. To get an antagonist into the mix, writer Brochu employs the most cliché character choice: the homophobe.

Joining Gideon's backup singers is Buddy (Jeff Kinman), a golly-gee young hick with a powerful voice and a Bible in his backpack. Within minutes of his arrival in the studio, Buddy's preaching fire and brimstone to Gideon, quoting Leviticus about abomination and screeching that homosexuals are condemned to backstroke in the fiery lakes of hell.

Shut up and sing, Gideon tells Buddy, who says he'll try to "hate the sin and love the sinner'' – besides, he needs the gig to launch his singing career. As a device for mouthing bigoted rhetoric, Buddy's too much the symbol and too little a fully drawn human being. The friction between him and Gideon is manufactured too hastily and, anyway, we know that in a show like this, there's a big hug of understanding waiting for its cue in Act 2.

Schalchlin's good music and clever lyrics more than make up for the weak story line. His words provide witty, often deeply sarcastic glimpses into Gideon's personal struggles, from coming out to his parents in "The Preacher and the Nurse'' to his litany of failed HIV treatments in "Somebody's Friend'', which attacks spurious alternative medicines, the moonstones, herbs and "bugs from England'' that always are said to have cured "the friend of somebody's friend".

The best song, Connected, is a solo for Gideon, a soaring, emotional anthem about love and friendship. Eckert, who also plays keyboards on every song, has a fine voice and goes all out on the one number in the show that has a catchy, Manilovian hook.

Brochu lightens up the angry dialogue with plenty of good one-liners. "I would rather be me with AIDS than have to be you without it,'' Gideon snarls at the pious Buddy.

Backup singers Tryshia and Vicki (constantly decanting cocktails from an array of Thermoses) playfully backbite when they're not belting tunes. "I have the body of a 20-year-old,'' Vicki boasts. To which Tryshia shoots back, "Well, you better give it back cuz you're wrinkling the hell out of it".

A little bit preachy, but often funny and deeply affecting, The Last Session looks at one good man's life and how he weighs the reasons for postponing its finale.

Review

Mark Lowry, Star-Telegram

Given the barefaced themes of sexuality and religion in the musical The Last Session, it's interesting that its creators Jim Brochu and Steve Schalchlin named their lead character Gideon.

In the biblical Book of Judges, Gideon delivered the Israelites from the land of Midian. But when an angel first appeared to Gideon, he was doubtful, saying, "If the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?"

In The Last Session, given its Dallas premiere by Uptown Players, Gideon (Scott A. Eckert) is a singer-songwriter also questioning faith and life's cruelty - mainly, the fact that he's dying of AIDS. He's going to kill himself, and his suicide note to his longtime partner is a final album he's recording in an all-night session. (Another Biblical parallel: the title's play on The Last Supper.)

Producer Jim (Ted Wold) is the only person who knows Gideon's plan. Joining them in the studio are Gideon's best friends Tryshia (Denise Lee), a self-proclaimed diva; Vicki (Sara Shelby-Martin), his booze-swilling former wife; and fresh-faced gospel singer Buddy (Jeff Kinman), who is greatly distraught when he discovers that Gideon, his idol, is gay.

The musical takes a no-holds-barred approach to its subject matter - but that's not a criticism. Politics that border on the militant can, if done right, make for art that's as important as it is entertaining.

There are songs about the complexities of being HIV-positive (Friendly Fire) and love (the tear-inducing Going It Alone, sung magnificently by Kinman), and lines that condemn the hypocrisy of fundamental Christianity. When Buddy throws out the old Leviticus bomb, he's comically rebutted by Vicki saying, "So if you want to get to heaven, don't eat spare ribs when you're having your period," referring to other Levitical laws.

But what makes this show so robust is that, in the end, it doesn't attempt to change anyone's belief system. Instead, it strives to promote understanding.

Director Doug Miller has cast the show perfectly. Kinman, Shelby-Martin and Lee have tremendous voices tailor-made for a show in which the music is more contemporary Christian than Rodgers and Hammerstein. However, they overdo the screaming on the show's only bad song, the We Are the World-esque When You Care.

Eckert, usually serving as musical director on shows, doesn't have as strong of a singing voice as the others, but he's believable and powerfully moving.

It's a first-rate production made stronger by the musical's fearlessness.

Review

Lawson Taitte, The Dallas Morning News

The Last Session has some nice songs and funny jokes. And it never lets you forget that it's about a singer-songwriter who plans to give up on his struggle with AIDS and commit suicide.

This show with music and lyrics by Steve Schalchlin and book by Jim Brochu doesn't really fit into that group of recent musicals that treat grim topics with such seriousness that you could almost call them operas. Rather, it's a sometimes uncomfortable cross between a light musical and a private meditation on death and religion.

Gideon, the main character, has arranged a recording session to put his last thoughts and musical ideas in the can before his intended suicide. He has invited some longtime musical associates to help. One cancels, and in his place a young evangelical songwriter, Buddy, shows up. Buddy idolizes Gideon. But when he finds out that the older man is gay, his first instinct is to flee, his second to launch a theological attack.

The setup feels artificial – argumentative and manipulative. It becomes even less convincing as the evening sails away on a flood of sentiment.

Uptown Players' production of The Last Session, which opened at the Trinity River Arts Center on Friday, gives the script its best shot. The singers are terrific, and the production feels slick and professional. Director Doug Miller sometimes allows his performers to play very broadly – but the jokes invite such treatment, and those zingers get the appropriate laughs.

The Gideon, Scott A. Eckert, is better known as a musical director and playwright than as a performer. He proves capable of the role's dramatic requirements, and his voice has a beautiful quality to it. When he pushes it high into the falsetto range, though, the pitch becomes undependable.

Denise Lee as Gideon's singer friend is a joy from first to last. She lobs her diva-ish insults with glee, and her magnificent voice convinces you that there is real feeling in the songs. Sara Shelby-Martin plays Ms. Lee's hard-drinking rival with a voice almost as rich. The Buddy, Jeff Kinman, comes close to outsinging them both, if that were possible. Boyish though he is, he's still a few years too old for the character, and he sometimes pushes the comedy way too hard.

The music they sing mixes adult-contemporary innocuousness with some gospel and boogie-woogie elements. Gideon is insulted when Buddy calls his tunes "Christian Barry Manilow." The score here could actually use a few more Manilow-style melodic hooks. When it's this well sung, though, it's hard to mind.

Review

John Garcia, Talkin' Broadway

When AIDS first entered into our society, I was still living in my hometown here in Texas. I read how it affected people in New York, Los Angeles, and other large metropolitan cities, so I honestly thought since I was living in a small town, I was safe. Then I went off to college-UNT, which is only thirty minutes away from Dallas. I remember sitting in the green room of my theater department (I was a drama major) and the conversation would sometimes turn to the topic of AIDS. Everyone in this green room (including myself) said we did not know anyone who had this horrific decease. I clearly remember turning to a friend and say, "But when it does, its going to be someone really near to me." I never would have believed how right I was.

The first real close friend of mine to die from AIDS was my childhood best friend, Gary. When I was told he had died, I drove straight to a Catholic church, went inside and proceeded to sob, scream and yell at god for taking such a wonderful friend from me. I had never felt so empty. Since then I have lost some very close and dear friends, colleagues, and acquaintances to this decease. It is sort of strange how society has changed since the first wave took so many. Its no longer at the forefront of today's issues, and many feel as though the many medications available now are a cure. What is more shocking is how our younger generations seem to think nothing of it, as though it is no longer here. Which adds more evidence to the articles and surveys stating that there is a significant rise in AIDS among teens. Alas, the second major wave is coming closer.

When creators of musical theater decide to use actual situations, people, and events that surround our society and set it to music, it can be a very tricky project to pull off. Sometimes the material does not bring out the human emotion in a realistic manner, but instead it comes out false and pretentious. Then there are those productions that come no where near in bringing out human compassion, but instead create forced emotion, leaving its audience looking at their watches.

AIDS is a subject that has been used by both playwrights and composers. We have THE NORMAL HEART, AS IS, JEFFREY, LOVE! VALOR! COMPASSION, and of course ANGELS IN AMERICA in the play category. For musicals what comes to mind immediately is RENT and FALSETTOS.

THE LAST SESSION is a musical that takes place in a recording studio in Burbank, California. We come upon Gideon (Scott A. Eckert), a composer who is recording his own music, and who is planning to kill himself after this recording session. Thus in a way we are seeing him compose and record his own death requiem. He has decided to stop fighting his own personal battle with his body, for he has AIDS. Gideon is being assisted in this goodbye recording by Jim (Ted Wold), who is not only a close friend of his, but also a recording engineer. Gideon has invited his ex-wife Vicki (Sara Shelby-Martin) and another close friend Tryshia (Denise Lee) to help him in the vocal department of his recording. Gideon had invited another friend, but he could not make it, so in his place arrives Buddy (Jeff Kinman), a very religious baptist who also happens to be a great fan of Gideon's music. But he has no idea that Gideon is gay. What's more is that none of these people know about Gideon's suicide plans.

For the most part this is a very moving and deeply touching musical. Where the major problems lie are within its book. Jim Brochu's book tends to become too heavy handed in its preaching of religion and homosexuality. Its when the book goes into these arguments about god and being gay that you feel the musical going off its tracks. Another major book problem is this: Why is it that when it comes to someone that has AIDS, there has to be the obligatory cough to signify that this person is sick. The book has no foreshadowing that Gideon is truly ill, nor is there any hint in the performance to let us know how ill he is, until that second act cough. This comes off anti- climatic and short changes both the performance and the audience. But when the focus of the book stays squarely on the relationships between Gideon and his friends is when the piece comes alive in heartrending beauty and compassion.

As for Steve Schalchin's score, it is simply glorious ear candy with its mellifluous harmonies and clear melodic writing. The music has a mixture of rock, pop, soul and gospel that is written for the ten songs that comprise the score. The songs are written from Gideon's point of view regarding his mind, heart, and what is happening around him in his life. Schlachin's lyrics display wonderful subtext and organic inner thought to what emotion or situation is being explored at that moment in the piece. My three personal favorite songs within the score would be the haunting ballad "Going It Alone", the gospel flavored "The Singer and The Song", and "When You Care"-which has some of the best singing I have heard in a musical all season long with its lush and tight harmonies and solid belting notes.

This is my first ever observance of Doug Miller's direction, and he shows great promise. The blocking of the piece does lack focus, subtext, and purpose for a majority of the evening, but Miller already has one aspect of directing perfectly pact down, and that would be pace. Miller has given the piece a very spontaneous and energetic pace that fits the emotion perfectly. But Miller's greatest aspect may be casting. I truly feel that casting is a major, and I mean major part of making a production a success. And from the looks of this cast, Miller seems to have a perfect eye in casting the best talent, and it shows big time with this company!

Each thespian is perfectly cast and bring so much to the table. While there are some acting choices at times that are questionable, they are minor in comparison to the overall effect of the piece.

"Gideon" has got to be a very difficult role to cast. The actor playing the role must also be able to sing well and play the piano beautifully. That's not even counting conducting the other singers on stage, setting the pace and tempo for the songs, and of course to act. Scott A. Eckert succeeds in all of these requirements. He delivers a moving and touching performance as "Gideon". Eckert plays the electronic piano and conducts the other singers with pure professionalism. Eckert wears Gideon's heart on his sleeve and honestly shows the emotional battle within him in his singing and acting. Eckert's finest vocal moment comes in the genuine ballad,"Connected". Any actor who fakes tears and sobbing will lose me in a second. If you can't reach that raw, naked emotion that will bring forth tears, then how can you expect the audience to feel for your character. Eckert has a very emotional breakdown in Act Two, and while the cough is anti-climatic, Eckert brings back the humanity and pain when you see honest tears in his eyes. Eckert is terrific in the role.

Jeff Kinman has the finest singing voice of the evening, in fact he is the best male singer that I have heard this entire season, period. Kinman's vocals are clean, clear, crisp, and rich in volume and sound. This incredible voice also has a strong, solid vibrato that keeps the tenor notes sounding lush and elegant. The others on stage comment on Buddy as being this young kid, and while Kinman does possess a boyish face, he still looks older than what the other characters make him out to be. But the actor does give off this aura of exuberance and of being oblivious to what is being said around him that does help off set the physical issue. Kinman with his exquisite tenor vocals adds so much to the moving ballad, "Going It Alone", creating what has to be one of the best solos of the evening.

Sara Shelby-Martin truly gives the best singing that she has ever done in this production. Martin sings with a dark soprano voice that has a belt that would make you believe she is Ethel Merman's daughter! This voice rests on a vibrato that supports her belting notes like steel iron. Martin adds strength and honest compassion to the song "Somebody's Friend". In the aforementioned Act Two there is a major dramatic situation that generates tears from everyone on stage. But Martin's outburst in this scene is a little forced, it needs to be more restrained and more organically cathartic. But she still does achieve in presenting an injured heart with her honest tears that streak down her face that overrides her earlier acting choice. Martin also gives brutal honesty to the lyrics in the song, "The Group" that shows just how outstanding this performer is.

Denise Lee portrays "Tryshia", who Gideon happens to be a godfather to one of her sons. Lee gives a phenomenal performance, both in singing and acting. Lee has a soprano voice that can sound ethereal one moment and then transform into a booming, powerful gospel voice that would rip the roof off any theater! Lee's magnificent and euphonious singing wraps around such songs as "The Preacher and the Nurse" and "The Singer and the Song" that is just amazing to hear. Lee also has most of the comedy written into her character which she handles with finesse. I've never seen this actress in a comedic role before, and she is just hysterical with her dead on comedic pace and timing. Lee's characterization is a mixture of earth mother, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Lena Horne, and even Whoopi Goldberg! She is the star of the evening!

All four of these performers without a doubt provide the best ensemble singing done this entire theatrical season! Their tight, luxurious harmonies create a wall of voice and music that is just marvelous to hear and experience. Such group numbers as "The Preacher and the Nurse", "Friendly Fire", and especially the best ensemble number of the musical, "When You Care" are all magnificent to hear.

Although Ted Wold's "Jim" has not one song to sing, he does add some hilarious one liners and zingers that are sprinkled throughout the evening. Although he is dressed like he was a roadie for the Village People. But sadly his character is somewhat hindered by having him behind a completely black slab of glass. Thus we see none of his facial expressions, nonetheless Wold provides a mirthful and amusing performance.

Kudos also to the set and scenic design of Andy Redmon and Liz Horn. The look of the set and its dressing do resemble an authentic recording studio, right down to the various lighting units on the set. Julie Simmons' lighting also earns laudation. She creates soothing emotional lighting for various songs as the evening progresses. Her use of lighting just the faces of the actors in natural light, while around them is bold color adds so much to the overall visual effect of the evening.

If you are a fan or a performer of musical theater, this is a must see. Not very many theater companies are willing to produce and mount new musicals, let alone one that never reached Broadway, but played to great acclaim off-Broadway in New York and Los Angeles. Uptown Players has boldly mounted a noteworthy production that has some of the most gorgeous singing you have heard all season long and in the process tug at your heart as well.

RATING: A-