“44: The Musical,” playing at the Daryl Roth Theatre at 101 E. 15th Street, is absolutely hilarious. The satirical musical comedy, about the behind-the-scenes of the Barack Obama presidency, is the brainchild of a former Obama campaign staffer Eli Bauman, who created the book, music, and lyrics; he also directs the production and is one of the lead producers.
This show is a definite winner! “44: The Musical” will have you continuously laughing, and even singing along. You will also be floored by the phenomenal singing performances of this cast. The production tells the story of Obama as narrated by a confused but supportive Joe Biden. This is satirical musical theater at its best, with many delightful, funny, sexy, and silly moments. It tells the story of Obama’s presidency with admiration, but also a sense of revealing all the horrible treatment he received from the Republican party’s leadership.
Bauman tells this story using a marvelous mix of soul, R&B and hip-hop performances and you would not believe the characters performing the hip-hop numbers. Despite all that President Obama went through, this musical has a sense of triumph over the odds. It also paints a picture of a president that truly cared about Americans of all stripes. Though Obama faced racism, he managed to keep his eyes on the prize to leave a legacy of which we can all be proud.
The production begins with a stunning singing performance by Summer Nicole Greer (Voice of the People). Her voice is magnificent! She happily and proudly sings about the 44th President! This is followed by meeting the narrator — as Joe Biden, Chad Doreck is absolute comedic perfection. He is not only a constant source of humor and joy, but he also has an amazing voice. T.J. Wilkins (Barack Obama) is wonderful and brings a charming stage presence to the role along with a phenomenal voice. He and Shanice (Michelle Obama) have a definite sexy chemistry on stage, and their harmonies are lovely. There are some amazing supporting characters that will make you laugh and upset you at the same time. Larry Cedar is devilishly evil as Mitch McConnell. His character is blatantly racist and happily seeks to ruin Obama. He is joined by Michael Uribes (Ted Cruz), Jeff Sumner (Lindsay Graham), Dino Shorte (Herman Cain), and Chelsea Morgan Stock (Sarah Palin at the performance I attended). Just hearing these political names, you know that there was a lot of craziness going on. Jenna Pastuszek (Hillary Clinton) delivers an amusing, sassy and spirited performance, as the lady who lost the nomination, is furious about the old-boy atmosphere, but still was able to make hay as secretary of state. Evan Tyrone Martin is versatile and engaging as he plays multiple roles. There are too many comedic moments to name, but one that truly will stand out is when Biden introduces Michelle. If you don’t laugh until you cry, I’d be surprised.
This new musical struts with off-the-chain creativity. Its creative team includes Julio Himede as scenic designer; Jonathan Burke as sound designer; Nathan W. Scheuer and Natali Arco as lighting designers; Anthony “Brew” Brewster as music director and music co-producer; and Miss James Alsop as choreographer. A live band does a phenomenal job and includes Conrad Bauer on guitar, Corey Cofield on bass, Phillip “Fish” Fisher on drums, and Greg Raymond on keyboard.
I urge you to make plans to see “44: The Musical” as soon as possible. It’s just the democratic thing to do. For more info visit 44theobamamusical.com.
