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Naked Boys Singing |
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Author: Robert Schrock
Reviewer: David Roberts for Theatre Reviews Limited |
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When a stage full of naked boys sing erotic songs, there should not only be a response from the adoring audience, but (one would think) some visible response from those naked boys themselves. Obviously "Naked Boys Singing!" is legitimate theatre and not pornography, so the type of visual response alluded to here is not possible on an Off Broadway stage. The long and short of it is, however, (sorry, couldn't resist) without that response, eroticism falls pretty flat. What does work well is naked boys singing about "Gratuitous Nudity" (the spunky opening number by the company) and about being employed as "The Naked Maid" (Sean McNally) and about being circumcised ("Bliss" performed with a real cutting edge by Daniel C. Levine). Equally workable are songs about "Robert Mitchum" (Tom Gualtieri singing about that time when men were "not buff") and all the show's songs which unabashedly celebrate the naked male body. And why not?
  
There's much to be celebrated on the stage of the Actors' Playhouse where the new musical revue "Naked Boys Singing!" is currently running. All of the actors show a commitment to the material they are asked to perform and, for the most part, handle their nudity quite well. They do seem, oddly, overly concerned about touching one another. Perhaps the director Robert Schrock should have taken our boys on a day's field trip to a professional (or otherwise) sports team's locker room to catch a glimpse of how those naked boys strut their stuff. It is also unnecessary to ask a patron sitting in the front row (who paid sixty-five dollars for the privilege of sitting there) what his name is and to presume that he is embarrassed to be sitting there watching a naked boy standing within a few inches of him. We all know why the audience is there, so let's just "let it be" and enjoy one another's exposure (whether nudity or the appreciation of that blissful state).
Among other things, this adorable little show proves what many have suspected for a long time. When it comes to the joys of eroticism, a little clothing (not nudity) goes a long way. Perhaps the show's best number is "Kris, Look What You've Missed" during which Jonathan Brody proceeds to dress (not undress) in front of the audience. A number like "Jack's Song" works less well because it is simply not believable that a stage full of naked boys can sing gleefully about masturbation while remaining "unmoved." It would have made more sense if much of this song were performed with one actor behind another or actors peeking out from the flats or some draped in towels. To be clear, nudity does not excuse a creative team from the mandate of creating a suspension of disbelief, no matter what needs to be done to accomplish that.
Nudity truly can be a window to the soul. We get very close to soulfulness in "Window to Window" first sung by Adam Michaels and later reprised (from the other window) by Sean McNally. These two fine actors transform mere voyeurism into the art of making love "at a distance." And the audience is treated to several songs which exhibit the playfulness of the soul as well as its tenderness. Glenn Allen leads the company in a hilarious "Nothin' But the Radio On" and Tim Burke proves again the mystique of pecs and abs in "Muscle Addiction." Trance Thompson joins other members of the cast in a celebration of nudity in "Window to the Soul."
Kudos to this fine cast who do their best to make "Naked Boys Singing!" come to life. It would have been interesting to see a greater variety of ethnicity and body type, reflective of the city in which nudity is being celebrated. There are, after all, bears and dads as well as smoothies and Chelsea boys. And all of these "types" comprise the window to the soul of what we call nudity and song.
Reviewed on Tuesday, July 20, 1999 (Opened on Thursday, July 22, 1999)
Reviewed on Tuesday March 20, 2001
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Conceived and directed by Robert Schrock, with Stephen Bates as Musical Director/Arranger and choreography by Jeffry Denman. Sets and costumes designed by Carl D. White; lighting design by Aaron Copp; sound by Christopher H. Macy. Presented by Jamie Cesa, Carl D. White, Hugh Hayes, Tom Smedes and Jennifer Dumas at the Actors' Playhouse, 100 Seventh Avenue (just below Sheridan Square/Christopher Street in the West Village). Performances are: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 8:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m.; and Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Regular tickets are $45.00 and VIP tickets for the front two rows are $65.00. Tickets can be charged by calling the theatre box office at 212-463-0060 or TeleCharge at 212-239-6200 or by clicking on the "Buy Online Tickets" button above.
WITH: Glenn Allen, Jonathan Brody, Tim Burke, Tom Gualtieri, Patrick Herwood, Daniel C. Levine, Sean McNally, Adam Michaels, and Trance Thompson.
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