Review: Now. Here. This. (Brown Paper Box Co.)

Now. Here. This.

Indulgent navel-gazing

Review by Lauren Whalen

The trouble with shows like Now. Here. This. hinges on the misguided use of self-reflection. In and of itself, self-reflection is not bad, and can be very positive in personal development. Every composer, writer and artist is well-versed in self-reflection and channels it into their work. When not channeled effectively, however, self-reflection can become self-indulgence in the blink of an eye. Now. Here. This. is a perfect example of self-reflection gone horribly wrong: an overly long and whiny cabaret of "personal" songs that verge on 95 minutes of embarrassing group therapy.

Now. Here. This. is loosely structured under the guise of four adult friends visiting a natural history museum. Only one is enthused about the outing (which led me to ask why they didn't just go to a bar), while the others act like five-year-olds, complaining of boredom, playing with their phones and in one case, eating an entire pound of gummy worms. (Again, judging from the date of birth mentioned in the first song, these are middle-aged adults.) In between snarking on their friend's clear joy at watching astronomy documentaries and reading placards out loud in annoying framing-device fashion, the four sing tunes about fathers who couldn't read, wanting Members Only jackets and (in one of the few honest moments of the show) choosing fantasy over reality when walking in a local teen fashion show.

Now. Here. This. is a follow-up from the creators of , another good concept that by the end became insufferable. Still, [title of show] had the meta aspect going for it, not to mention characters and a real plot. Now. Here. This. has none of these, only song after song about trying to get attention, longing for acceptance and daddy issues. Granted, these topics aren't different from those of most musicals, only other composers add relatability and universality, both of which are essential for a successful production. Otherwise, it's just group therapy - very long and drawn-out group therapy, at that. Only a few of the songs are memorable, and all promote a ridiculous amount of navel-gazing.

I'd comment more on the cast of this Chicago premiere, but don't feel quite right doing so, seeing as they're all at least 20 years too young to be playing these characters (again, if the birth year in the opening song is any indication). Even if one can forget the birth year, the cultural references and attitudes, not to mention the ages of the show's creators, indicate much older characters. The show feels inappropriate, even wrong, with such a young cast who has clearly had different life experiences in line with its own generation.

Sometimes I can put aside so-so or even terrible source material, if the direction and actors deliver. Not so with Now. Here. This. , where the script and score are so lazy and indulgent that finding merit becomes virtually impossible. Now. Here. This. is only memorable in its egocentricity, chock full of songs so personal that relatability goes right out the window. There are excellent self-reflective coming-of-age musicals; Now. Here. This. is most definitely not one of them.

Now. Here. This. continues through August 21st at Rivendell Theatre, 5779 N. Ridge (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays 2pm. Tickets are $25, and are available by phone (800-838-3006) or online through their website (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com ). More information at BrownPaperBox.org. (Running time: 95 minutes, no intermission)

behind the scenes

M. William Panek (director), T.J. Anderson (musical director), Justin Harner (assistant musical director, conductor), Margaret Baughman (stage manager), Sarah Heymann (set, prop design), (lighting design), Laura Wiley (projection design), Jenna Schoppe (choreographer), Scott Wietrzykowski and Tom Swiderski (sound design), Johnny Kyle Cook (costume coordinator), Damian Wille (production manager), (production photographer), Craig E. Gordon (voiceover), John Lattanzi (production intern), Charlie Sheets (graphic designer)

Tags: 16-0742, Anna Schutz, Brown Paper Box Co, Chad Michael Innis, Charlie Sheets, Chicago musical theater, Chicago Theater, Conor Foley, Craig E. Gordon, Damian Wille, Eric Vigo, Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen, Jenna Schoppe, John Lattanzi, Johnny Kyle Cook, Jonathan Levitt, Justin Harner, Kristi Szczepanek, Laura Wiley, Lauren Whalen, M. William Panek, Margaret Baughman, Matt Frye, Matt Ulm, Neala Barron, Nick Shoda, post, Rivendell Theatre, Sarah Heymann, Scott Wietrzykowski, Susan Blackwell, T.J. Anderson, Tom Swiderski, Zach Dries

Category: 2016 Reviews, Brown Paper Box Co, Lauren Whalen, Musical, Rivendell Theatre