Take “A Chorus Line,” then take “American Idol,” add Village Theatre’s professional casting and staging, and you end up with “Take Me America,” which opens tonight at the Everett Performing Arts Center.
“Take Me America” is a new musical making its West Coast premiere. It tackles the desperate and divisive stories of seven people seeking asylum.
The play, based on the PBS documentary “Well-Founded Fear,” was written and composed by Bill Nabel and Bob Christianson.
Both Nabel, a playwright and actor, and Christianson, a composer and conductor, have a long list of accomplishments on stage, television and film.
Director Jerry Dixon steps up for a fourth production with Village Theatre, most recently directing a lively updated version of “The Full Monty.”
“Take Me America” needs, and got in Dixon, an artistic hand at the helm to ensure the play doesn’t lapse into a maudlin tear-jerker or a simplistic indictment of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
All the action takes place at an INS office, but the movable set, just stacks of file cabinets with institutional desks in the foreground, splits apart to reveal two rows of chairs, much like a courtroom, where the asylees (there must be a better word) wait to be summoned.
With effective use of lighting and some projections on the scrim, the set changes dramatically as the refugees seeking protection, from Gaza, El Salvador, Sudan, Algeria, Haiti and a married couple from China, come forward to plead their cases.
In operetta style, the group of seven all reveal in song their hopes, dreams and fears of persecution.
Isabella from El Salvador portrayed by Heather Appalanes Gonio pleads “Next, I’m next.” Gonio’s strong voice is well-suited to the role of the young Latina who firmly and passionately makes her case.
Gonio played Lady Thiang in the Village production of “The King and I,” and she appeared in “Beauty and the Beast.”
Jonathan Lee in his first turn at Village Theatre ably steps up from understudy in the role of Asif, a Palestinian, whose story confounds the questioning agents.
Lee, Ekella Harrid as Malith (from Sudan) and Iris Elton as Zara (a pregnant Algerian) combine in the moving number “A Second Chance.”
As the play moves along, and it does move along with no intermission, you find yourself trying to determine, along with the three agents, who will make it. It sort of feels like being on a jury, as you listen to the cases and arguments, and try to remain objective.
Aaron Finley portrays Gary, the young INS agent, new at the job and determined to make his own judgments despite the opposing advice he gets from the jaded Michael, played with heavy sarcasm by Dennis Bateman, and liberal-minded Marsha, portrayed by Leslie Law.
All three are Village Theatre pros. Finley switched from the title role to Judas in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and appeared in “The Gypsy King” and “Aida.”
Bateman was most recently the stoic and loving Matthew in “Anne of Green Gables”; and among her many credits, Law portrayed Maggie in “42nd Street,” Parthy in “Show Boat,” Dolores in “The Full Monty” and Meg in “Brigadoon.”
The story line makes for a thoughtful and entertaining hour and a half, and the stable of strong voices in all the “Take Me” roles overcomes the musical’s fatal flaw, sometimes poignant but unmemorable songs.
“Take Me America” opens tonight with shows through Nov. 20 at the Everett Performing Arts Center. 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett.
Tickets for matinee and evening shows are $37 to $56, and are available online at everettvillagetheatre.org, at the box office or by calling 425-257-8600.
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