It's Friday night at Leavittsburg's small-town watering hole, Connie's. The local yokels are out in full force celebrating the end of yet another laborious work week. Enter into this scene Jake (Michael Williams '10). He's the quintessential boy from the big city come to steal away the resident golden girl, Jane (Jaime Rosenstein '10). The Ohio boys obviously don't take kindly to this intruder, pushing and prodding him with insults big and small.
"Love it or LEAVEittsburg, Ohio!" one jibes.
Brownbrokers' newest production, "Leavittsburg, Ohio," written by Nate Sloan '09, is sure to put a smile on any midterm-drained Brown student's face, providing a rare opportunity to kick back and listen to some show tunes brimming with the propulsive energy of Stephen Sondheim and the tonal richness of Aaron Copland.
"Leavittsburg" tells the story of Jane's first trip home to the great state of Ohio from her New York City Ivy League school for spring break with her boyfriend Jake. Awaiting the young couple's arrival are Jane's salt-of-the-earth father Frank (Michael Wharton '12), her teenage brother Ben (Ned Risely '12), her ex-boyfriend Corey (Dennis Kozee '12) and just about every other townsperson in Leavittsburg, young and old. They are a proud group, devoted to one another in that familial way that only comes from living in a small town, and they are more than ready to send Jake back to his prep school friends and keep Jane home where she belongs.
Jane herself is in quite the quandary, torn between the opportunities New York has to offer and the comfort of home. She's also worried about her father and brother who, with Jane at school on the East Coast, are home alone for the first time since her mother's recent death.
The musical is fun and entertaining, even if the thematic territory of choosing home versus choosing a different life has been pretty over-worked. The show is kept moving by an excellently chosen cast portraying relatable and realistic characters to the beats of lively music. The script itself is well-written, with some side-splitting one-liners and wonderfully created characters whose personalities shine on the stage.
Rosenstein's Jane is sweet and charming, with a killer voice to boot. As Jake, Williams is both hilarious and endearing, inspiring the audience to root for this sarcastically witty prepster, despite the fact that he can't drive yet and he's "20…1…ish" (his birthday is just a day away).
Rosenstein shines throughout the entire production, giving a strong performance from the first notes of her opening number to the last bars of the finale. And she's not all sugary sweet either — Jane isn't going to be that heroine who sits and waits for the men-folk to make up their minds. She's a strong-willed young woman being portrayed by a strong actress. Williams starts out slow, but that has more to do with his character's relative absence from the first act. Once he punches out Jane's relentless ex during the first act's finale, though, there's no stopping him.
Jane's father and brother both give strong performances. Wharton's Frank is fixed in his convictions — Jake will definitely be sleeping on the couch in the living room — but he does everything with his family in mind. His firm but soft-spoken delivery is perfect and not over-the-top, as easily could have happened to such a character. Likewise, Ben may be Jane's annoying little brother, but he is anything but annoying to audience members, who will remember his performance in the song "Akron" as adorably amusing.
The best part about "Leavittsburg" is that the quality of the leads isn't lost in the rest of the company. Each character gives a memorable performance. From the lovable dreamer Ms. Brighton (Allison Schneider '10) to the sassy bartender Connie (Madeleine Heil '13), each person has a moment to shine.
The bittersweet relationship between Jane's friend Evie (Beth Berger '10) and her husband, Todd (Gerrit Thurston '13), who has just returned from combat in Iraq, pulls at the audience's heartstrings. The Pastor's (Jarrett Key '13) lively standout number "The Book of Jake" gets the viewer's blood pumping.
The set is also well-executed in its simplistic malleability. By just wheeling the family's staircase across stage, the set is transformed and ready to tell another part of the story. When it's front and center, we're in the airport; to the left, we're in Jane's house; to the side, we're up in the attic.
The stairs themselves play an important role in the musical. They represent the need to climb past one's fears and prejudices. Everyone has stereotypes — Jake can't imagine Jane wanting to live in a town like Leavittsburg while the townspeople can't help themselves from asking if Jane has seen a drive-by yet, because that happens all the time in the big city. Jane has to see past both of these barriers before she can make up her mind.
"Leavittsburg, Ohio" is a fun dramedy, drawing audiences in with stellar acting, upbeat music and a witty script. Even if the show's themes have been seen before, "Leavittsburg" breathes new life into them, taking the audience on a journey that's both poignant and enjoyable.
"Leavittsburg, Ohio" continues Nov. 19 through 22 in Stuart Theatre, Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. with a matinee Sunday at 2 p.m.
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