Review
Adrift in Macao
Primary Stages @ 59E59th St
February 16, 2007
VanLoan
vanloan@nyconstage.org
After being short-listed last year for the Pulitzer Prize (for Miss
Witherspoon), Adrift in Macao finds playwright Christopher Durang is his
“entertainment” mode. As the author describes in the program notes, he makes a
distinction between his dark comedies and his parodies or his ‘silly
entertainments’. Adrift in Macao is a gentle musical parody of the 1940’s film
genre: the ominous detective films also known as ‘noir’.
The play is actually a throwback of sorts to his Broadway comedy of 1978 A
History of the American Film (Tony nominated for Best Book of a Musical). Macao,
a port city in the Far East, is the sort of locale that attracts the sad shady
characters on society’s underbelly (think Tangiers or Casablanca). A seedy
nightclub owner, Rick Shaw, always on the lookout for glamorous, new talent for
his club runs into Lureena who is on the mend from a relationship turned sour
(“In a Foreign City”) and looking for work. Stalking Lureena is Mitch the
mysterious man who can’t home again (“Mitch’s Story”). At Rick’s Saloon, we meet
Corinna the tough as nails opium-addicted hostess and Tempura her cross-dressing
inscrutable Asian sidekick. It seems that Mitch is looking for Mr. McGuffin (in
an obvious homage to Alfred Hitchcock) last seen at the club. The chorus (all in
trenchcoats) helps further the intrigue with some unexpected clues (“Mister
McGuffin”). The plot proceeds with more twists than “a back street in
Chinatown”.
The affection that Durang (book and lyrics) and Peter Melnick (music) have for
their material is quite obvious. In fact, it’s a little too obvious. The
hint-hint; nudge-nudge; wink-wink aspect of the piece begins to wear out its
welcome. By the time Tempura sings “Revelation” (in full glorious drag) we are
in a bit of somnambulant mood (not unlike Corinna’s drug induced hangovers)
ourselves. However, it’s a pleasant enough evening and the bouncy skillful
musical numbers do have their kick. As is always the case in these types of
parodies; it’s the supporting characters who steal the show. Michelle Ragusa is
hilarious as Corinna and her number “Mambo Malaysian” stops the show. Orville
Mendoza as Tempura gives a delightful star-making turn both in and out of a
dress. While we await Durang’s return to his dark comedies, Adrift in Macao
is certainly “entertainment” enough.
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