Striking 12
Written by Brendan Milburn,
Rachel Sheinkin and Valerie Vigoda
Directed by Lara Filip
at Heartland Studio, 7016 N. Glenwood (map)
thru Jan 1 | tickets: $15 | more info
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‘Striking 12’ ushers in a peppy new year
Bohemian Theatre Ensemble presents
Striking 12
Review by Lauren Whalen
The holidays have arrived, bringing a score of treacly pop culture that promises to deliver the real message of the season but instead leaves the consumer with a cavity, or several. Striking 12 tries its best not to emulate said treacly pop culture and succeeds – sometimes. BoHo Theatre’s production of the cabaret-style “anti-holiday” musical suffers from an inconsistent script but benefits from a cast of multi-talented actor-musicians.
Using audience interaction, comedy bits and truly impressive singing and playing, Striking 12’s cast works very hard to enact the story of a lonely schmuck who is determined to stay in on New Year’s Eve. When the man encounters a whimsical light-bulb saleswoman, he is inspired to revisit Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of the little match girl. And herein lies the inherent problem with Striking 12: its script, punctuated by so many winking asides to the audience and forced cast infighting that I’m left wondering why the writers bothered with a story at all. In contrast, the music and lyrics resemble Jason Robert Brown in their strongest moments. Why not just keep the show a straight-up concert, rather than tying in a parallel to a dreary Hans Christian Andersen tale?
Striking 12’s script incorporates what is perhaps my least favorite archetype: the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Coined by an AV Club op-ed piece of old, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl is awkward. She’s irritating. She’s really not a character at all, more a device to get the sad-sack straight man out of his head and into her heart (sometimes other parts of her anatomy as well). Striking 12’s Manic Pixie Dream Girl has named her red ukulele and doesn’t trust technology. No matter how good the actress playing her, she is the very embodiment of a plot point that needs to permanently disappear.
Thankfully, Striking 12 possesses several strengths. Sally Weiss’ simple set and lighting design incorporates bright red walls and strings of multicolored bulbs to give Heartland Studio’s intimate space a festive aura. Though the dialog is weak, the score is wonderful, equally melancholy and uplifting. And Striking 12’s quartet of troubadours is delightfully goofy, engaging the audience with skillful instrumentals and tuneful vocals. Matt Deitchman grumps and grouses as the story’s anti-hero and tickles the ivories with aplomb. Though the “Little Drummer Boy” subplot is grating, Jed Feder’s energetic percussion is supplemented by his funny fratboy antics. Mallory Nees strums and plucks with enthusiasm, but the real standout is Amy Steele, whose large cartoon eyes resemble a Disney heroine. Steele’s sweet soprano and lovely electric violin lift the production to new heights, and her wistful interpretation of the little match girl shines brighter than the matches of the tale.
In Chicago one faces a plethora of options on New Year’s Eve, many crowded and overpriced. One could do worse than attend Striking 12 on that fateful night. Though there may not be one true meaning to a holiday associated with excessive drinking and bad decisions, Striking 12 does its best to convince otherwise and to encourage misanthropes to step outside their own heads and apartments. Nothing wrong with that.
Rating: ★★★
Striking 12 continues through January 1st at Heartland Studio, 7016 N. Glenwood (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 5pm. No performances December 24-25; special performance December 31 with post-show party. Tickets are $15 ($30 on New Years Eve), and are available online. More information at BohoTheatre.com. (Running time: 75 minutes with no intermission)
