When I first discovered
Pasek & Paul’s
Dogfight it was during the beginnings of
the off-Broadway production. I was caught by the cast (I was a fan of Lindsay
Mendez), and then, later, by the amazing music that was leaked onto the
internet. When the cast recording of the off-Broadway production was released,
I bought it immediately and it has been a staple in my rotation of cast
recordings ever since.
Many times I wished a regional theatre or community theatre
would take on the story of Eddie and Rose, but it’s a risk, and I knew it. Luckily,
Street Theatre Company has never been a theatre to shy away from a challenge or
an edgy piece of theatre.
Friday night, STC opened the Nashville premier of Dogfight. Set in 1963, a group of
Marines has one final night before being sent to Vietnam. The three bees, also
known as Boland, Bernstein, and Birdlace, participate in a cruel game called
the dogfight. All the Marines put into a pot and the Marine who brings the
ugliest girl to the party… wins.
Eddie Birdlace meets Rose at a diner where
she works with
her mother. Awkward and far from your “traditional” beauty, Rose hesitates to
go to a party this handsome young Marine has invited her to attend. She relents
and heads out on her first date ever. While the first part of the night goes
very much the way the audience could have expected; Rose turns Eddie Birdlace’s
world upside down.
Audrey Johnson plays Rose. Johnson takes the awkwardness and
innocence of Rose and brings the audience into her world. You laugh with her,
get excited with her, get angry with her and get sad with her. An outstanding
performance and a uniquely beautiful voice, Johnson was a perfect cast for the
role of Rose. Johnson was the glue that kept the audience engaged, when they
could have checked out because of the cruel things happening in the show.
Jens Jacobson plays Eddie Birdlace. The interesting thing
about the role of Eddie is that you aren’t sure if you like him or you think he’s
a terrible person. This happens throughout pretty much the entire show. While
the character is ultimately redeemable, I can see how it could be a tough role
to play. Jacobson does a wonderful job in making Eddie relatable, in spite of
all the character shortcomings. Even though you want to smack him for some of
the things he does, you also want to hug him for some of the things he does.
That, my dear readers, takes talent.
Boland, played by Taylor Kelly, hires a woman to help him
win the contest, even though this breaks the crude rules of the game. Margaret
French plays Marcy, the loud and rude woman for hire. Both Kelly and French
embodied their roles, essentially becoming the representation of the worst
parts of humanity. Boland has no remorse for his actions throughout the show.
Marcy is so jaded from her life that she has no room for kindness or pity for
anyone; looking out for only herself.
Rose becomes the representation of the best parts of
humanity, with her genuine kindness, her hopeful outlook on life, and her ability
to give second chances to those who appear to be undeserving of such. Eddie Birdlace becomes that grey area. The
place where the unredeemable becomes redeemed, the point where you see light in
the darkness of one’s soul.
When you add in the history of the time period, and the
eventual outcome of the Vietnam War, along with the reprehensible way that the
returning Vietnam veterans were treated, it allows for the slight redemption of
even those darkest characters on stage. A child of a Vietnam vet myself, I
couldn’t help my heartbreak for each and every character on that stage, but especially
those in the military.
The book and music by Pasek and Paul have so many touching
moments and some truly elegant lyrics and harmonies. “Pretty Funny” is perhaps
my favorite song in the show and Audrey Johnson brought tears to my eyes with
her performance during this scene. “Some Kinda Time” showcases some amazing
harmonies by the entire cast of the show and really pulls the audience in from
the beginning of the show. I loved the Marcy/Rose duet, “Dogfight.” Margaret
French and Audrey Johnson play perfectly off each other in this scene and their
voices blend beautifully.
This show is certainly the kind of show that can touch
anyone, of any age. It’s a lesson in life, what “pretty” really is, and how
much a single night can change a person. When I added in my personal connection
because of the Vietnam era, I feel like it was near perfection for me.
Direction by Cathy Street was wonderful and the set (designed by Randall Pike)
was remarkable, considering the size of the stage and the number of different
locations in which the show takes place.
Honestly, I have been trying to find someone to go back and
see the show with me since I saw it on opening night. With Street Theatre
Company celebrating their 10
th season by offering pay-what-you-can
tickets, there’s no reason you shouldn’t go see this show. You can purchase
tickets on their
website and the show runs through June 21
st at
Bailey Middle School in East Nashville.
