Review: Tomorrow Morning (Kokandy Productions)

A sweet look at love and marriage

Review by Lauren Whalen

Off-Broadway musicals often create a greater sense of intimacy than their tourist-driven Broadway counterparts. Laurence Mark Wythe's Tomorrow Morning strives for this intimacy and succeeds: only four actor-singers, and two simple but compelling parallel storylines spanning the night before a momentous event. Tomorrow Morning debuted in London in 2006, and has since played on four continents, translated into four languages. In 2011, the Off-Broadway production was nominated for an Outer Critics' Circle Award for Best New Off-Broadway Musical. Though I wish the stories were somewhat less cliché, and one of the women slightly less nasal, I found Tomorrow Morning a sweet, pleasing 90-minute look at love and marriage.

In the morning, John (Neil Stratman) and Kat (Tina Naponelli) will get married. They're excited and nervous as many engaged couples are, Kat an up-and-coming magazine staffer debating whether to take her laptop on their honeymoon, and John as screenwriter nervously awaiting news about his latest prospective job. Apart from a minor scuffle, nothing's out of the ordinary - until they're faced with a major bump in the road that can and will change things for good. Meanwhile, Jack (Carl Herzog) and Catherine (Teressa LaGamba) squabble on the eve of their divorce becoming final. They have a nine-year-old son and an even longer romantic history - after Jack's previous affair, both are sure they're ready to let one another go. At least that's the plan.

Kokandy Productions never steers me wrong. Nothing this small but mighty company produces is a disappointment: co-Artistic Director John D. Glover, Resident Music Director Kory Danielsonand Executive Producer Scot T. Kokandy simply will not stand for it. That said, Tomorrow Morning doesn't quite possess the strength of the Jeff-nominated , the powerful piano-driven , or even last summer's poignant portrayal of Gertrude Stein, Wythe's dialogue is a bit wooden, and the situations of both couples become very predictable very quickly. Granted, the problems that each twosome faces are universal and relatable, but a little more original take on each storyline would be welcome, or at least a plot twist that one wouldn't anticipate early on.

Thankfully, Kokandy puts its trademark musical muscle behind source material that at times verges on slightly grating. Director Glover keeps the action moving and the pace tight, and Danielson's music direction is, as always, beautifully consistent and on point. Ashley Ann Woods' scenic design - essentially four separate locations in a relatively small space - is lovingly detailed, from the yarn-haired doll on Kat's childhood bed to the ungainly television set without a table in Jack's sad single-guy rental. The cast, a mix of Kokandy veterans and newbies, bring a stunning expanse of emotion and stirring vocals to the production. Though I wish Naponelli's voice weren't quite so nasal, she possesses a winning, youthful energy that's lovely to watch. Stratman's vocals are perhaps the strongest of the four, his acting equally solid and convincing. Herzog and LaGamba perfectly embody a divorcing couple: the anger, both fresh and residual that drove them apart; the routines that come with spending one's life with another person; and the chemistry that brought them together in the first place.

Tomorrow Morning doesn't break any ground in musical theater, but that's all right. After five years of reviewing their productions, I'd assert that it's impossible for Kokandy to put out a less-than-solid product. Though it's not a show that will stay with me for long, but I thoroughly enjoyed the love and the music.

Tomorrow Morning continues through August 28th at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays 3pm. Tickets are $38, and are available by phone (773-975-8150) or online through TheaterWit.org (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com ). More information at KokandyProductions.com. (Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission)

behind the scenes

John D. Glover (director), Kory Danielson (music director, piano), Cameron Turner (choreographer), Ashley Ann Woods (scenic design), (costume design), (lighting design), Mike Patrick (sound design), Johnny Buranosky (props design), Kirstin Johnson (sound engineer), Aaron Shapiro (production manager), Kait Samuels (stage manager), Evan Frank (assistant stage manager), Kyle Condon (master electrician, assistant stage manager), Michael Brosilow (photos)

Tags: 16-0719, Aaron Shapiro, Ashley Ann Woods, Bob Kuhn, Cameron Turner, Carl Herzog, Cat Wilson, Chicago musical theater, Chicago Theater, Evan Frank, John D. Glover, Johnny Buranosky, Jonathan Stombres, Kait Samuels, Kirstin Johnson, Kokandy Productions, Kory Danielson, Kyle Condon, Lauren Whalen, Laurence Mark Wythe, Lindsay Hoops, Michael Brosilow, Mike Patrick, Neil Stratman, post, Scot T. Kokandy, Teressa LaGamba, Theater Wit, Tina Naponelli

Category: 2016 Reviews, Kokandy Productions, Lauren Whalen, Musical, Theater Wit