by Mark G. Auerbach
Barrington Stage has been a catalyst for new works this season, from the opening musical Presto-Change-O to the current Broadway Bounty Hunter. The early season world premiere of American Son, one of the most important and affecting plays to hit area stages this year, returns next month.
Badia Farha, Annie Golden and Ensemble in Broadway Bounty Hunter at Barrington Stage. Photo by Scott Barrow.
Broadway Bounty Hunter was developed by Barrington Stage, with workshops along the way at Weston Playhouse Writers Retreat, the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, the Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals, and Cap21. Composer/lyricist Joe Iconis, one of the brightest lights on the current theatre scene, previously brought his musical The Black Suits to Barrington Stage, and his music is frequently performed in cabarets and clubs.
Broadway Bounty Hunter showcases the eclectic talents of actress/singer Annie Golden, who currently plays Norma Romano on TV’s Orange Is The New Black. Golden was lead singer of The Shirts, made a film debut in Milos Forman’s production of Hair, and originated the role of Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme in Sondheim’s Assassins. She was recently on Broadway in Xanadu, and she’s The Tooth Fairy on the Coinstar commercials. Golden and Iconis have worked together, and Broadway Bounty Hunter, with book by Iconis, Lance Rubin, and Jason SweetTooth Williams, tells the story of an aging actress, also named Annie Golden, who being “a woman of a certain age” is no longer getting the parts on Broadway because the younger generation has taken over.
So, in this improbable musical, Annie Golden becomes a bounty hunter, seeking out her bounty in the milieu of a 1970s Black Exploitation film. Think Shaft. Can you dig it? I found Mr. Iconis’ score engaging, well orchestrated by Charlie Rosen and conducted by Joel Waggoner, and well-performed by sextet of musicians behind the stage action. The story is all over the map, its characters other than Golden’s are superficial, and its liabilities are masked by Jeffrey Page’s energetic choreography, and a top-notch ensemble of performers.
Annie Golden in Broadway Bounty Hunter at Barrington Stage. Photo by Scott Barrow.
Julianne Boyd, Barrington Stage’s Artistic Director, took over the staging of Broadway Bounty Hunter days before the first previews. With a little more rehearsal time, Boyd might have been able to smooth over some of the production’s rough edges and fine-tuned the focus of the script. Her production team was superb, from Timothy Mackabee’s scenic design to Eric Southern’s lighting. Bobby Frederick Tilley’s costumes were spot-on, capturing the essence of 70s pimps, hustlers, and their girls.
Alan H. Green as Lazarus and Jeff McCarthy as Mac offered star turns in Broadway Bounty Hunter, and the ensemble was great. I found
Jeff McCarthy in Broadway Bounty Hunter at Barrington Stage. Photo by Scott Barrow.
Badia Farha’s and Anastacia McCarthy’s performances equally strong. I commend Annie Golden for taking on a role which points out an aging actress’ liabilities. There are some fine moments in her performance, but her overall performance isn’t strong enough to take center stage, when she’s best known for her slightly eccentric, often waifish portraits of characters in Hair and Assassins. I also might have enjoyed her nuances more, had the opening night audience not been filled with friends of the cast who applauded her at every opportunity.
Broadway Bounty Hunter has some entertaining moments, and it’s a fine opportunity to savor the up-and-coming talent of Joe Iconis. Kudos to its creators for building an original musical not based on a book, film, or composer’s songbooks. Barrington Stage should be commended for giving new musicals a chance to be nurtured. There’s enough good points in Broadway Bounty Hunter to make the musical a candidate for further revision and focus.
Barrington Stage Company presents the world premiere of Broadway Bounty Hunter. Music and lyrics by Joe Iconis.. Book by Joe Iconis, Lance Rubin, and Jason SweetTooth Williams. . Directed by Julianne Boyd. Musical direction by Joel Waggoner. Choreography by Jeffrey Page.. Scenic design by Timothy Mackabee . Costume design by Bobby Frederick Tilley. . Lighting design by Eric Southern. .. Sound design by .Josh Millican. Cast:. Annie Golden, Alan H. Green, Jeff McCarthy with Badia Farha, Kourtney Keitt, Anastacia McCleskey, Jamie Patterson, Porsha Putney, George Salazar, Shannon Tyo, Jason Veasey, and Scott Watanabe. Through September 4.. Barrington Stage Company’s St. Germain Stage., Pittsfield, MA. 413-236-8888 or www.barringtonstageco..org
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Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He’s worked for arts organizations and reported on theatre for newspapers and radio.
