Theater Review: They’re Playing Our Song

by Mark-Brian Sonna of MBS Productions

They’re Playing Our Song, the Neil Simon, Marvin Hamlisch and Carol Bayer Sager musical opened in New York in February 1979 and ran for over 1,000 performances. The show was wildly successful and originally starred Robert Klein and Lucie Arnaz playing a dueling duo of composer vs. lyricist. Lorna Luft later went on to do the national tour. The story line is loosely based on the real romantic affair between Marvin Hamlisch and Carol Bayer Sager, which are the shows composer and lyricist. The score reflected very much what was on the radio in that era which was Disco. The storyline had a sexual-lib pop sensibility with two goofy but likeable characters bedding each other before they get to know each other well. This was the 70’s, an era of looser morals then we have now. The show was hip for its time, but nearly thirty years later, does it hold up? Why would any theatre company want to revive such a period piece?

The answers are simple: The script is fantastic, the music is wonderful, and the characters are so vivid they still speak to us today. Curiously enough, the eponymous song of the show that is the most famous now sounds the most dated. Lyric Stage has opted to keep the 1979 era to validate the Disco beats in the score. Because they don’t have a full orchestra playing, though, we loose some of the orchestrations that scream “Disco” so the majority of the songs simply sound up-tempo and remarkably contemporary. Neil Simon who now is so oft criticized for his predictable storylines and slightly forced dialogue at the expense of one-liners really demonstrates with this script why he is such a great playwright. The dialogue is still funny, the jokes aren’t dated, and even though the plot is completely predictable, he writes in such a way that the audience delights in knowing what will come next. His set ups are obvious but he makes the pay offs worth it. A lesser capable writer could not pull off this balancing act of shtick and sincerity.

I had the privilege of seeing the Lorna Luft version of the show when it toured through Dallas in the 1980’s. Honestly, I barely remember it. I sat at Lyric Stage and I felt like I was watching the show for the very first time. They have done a wonderful job of taking this show and fleshing it out. It’s crisp, it moves quickly, the sets are effective, the costuming is spot-on, the lighting is wonderful, the sound is clear, and the orchestra, with the exception of a horn blast being too loud every now and then, did a very capable job.

Since this is mainly a two person musical, the onus is on the main performers. Paul Taylor and Stacia Goad-Malone inhabit their characters fully. They both have the stage presence to make their neurotic characters likable, and they have the vocal ability to carry the tunes and make them their own. The show runs nearly 2 ½ hours so they have to prattle through lots of dialogue, but I was never bored. They deliver some cheesy lines with such zest, that they make those moments not just work, but turn them into some of the best moments of the show. They were confidently directed by Len Pfluger.

Each lead has a group of three “voices” that serve as a chorus, and while all six performers did their roles well, even though they seem almost superfluous to the show, I must single out Vernicia Vernon who I last saw in Mack & Mabel at Theatre Three. She loves the stage and the stage loves her. I’m very curious to see her do a larger role; she has such magic while performing.

There’s not much more I can say about They’re Playing Our Song except that Lyric Stage’s version is most enjoyable. Whereas I barely remember the touring Broadway show I saw years ago, this version I won’t forget and will tell people to go and see.

The show runs until March 1, and tickets can be purchased online or by calling 972-252-2787.