Theater review: The Road to Qatar

by Mary L. Clark of John Garcia's The Column

The title of the musical kind of gives it away – The Road to Qatar. The author, Stephen Cole, even mentions it in his playbill notes. You know, Bob and Bing and Dorothy Lamour and all those zany road trips to far off lands. Actually, a better comparison could not be made.

The world premiere of Lyric Stage's The Road to Qatar (now playing at the Irving Arts Center) is a wacky, pun-filled romp based on the true story of "two short Jews," real life composer David Krane and lyricist Stephen Cole, who were separately emailed a request to write a musical for the Amir of Qatar and one thousand of his closed friends ... in the world's largest domed stadium ... with a plot including camels, a sultan's son and Mohammad Ali. After their return they decided to tell their unbelievable experiences of writing the first American musical premiering in the Middle East by writing what else – a musical. Are you still with me? Good because The Road to Qatar is one of those productions that's easy on the brain, easy to enjoy and so easily needed with looming world events and everyday challenges attempting to sap our funny bones.

As the curtain opens and the company sings the intro number, my first thought was "this is certainly a simple, bland set for a musical." Usually, when I think musical theatre I think big sets, big costumes, big music, etc. Unit pieces looked cheaply put together and a few didn't work well (one piece got really stuck attempting to open but the actor played it well and in character). The whole thing started to bother me until it dawned on me that perhaps the set designers were intentionally parodying what a crazy, thrown together, mish-mash the original musical must have been. Even if it isn't true, it eased my mind and perspective and, from that point on, I got into the show -- puns, asides, jokes and all.

The Road to Qatar is barely 90 minutes in length and packed with 16 musical numbers and one reprise. That makes for a whole lot of singing and these actors/singers are put to the test and are all equally superb. It all starts with a composer, Jeffrey, played by Lee Zarrett and the lyricist, Michael, performed by Brian Gonzales. Zarrett has true straight man appeal in this role but deftly holds his own to the more extravagant antics of Gonzales. Gonzales brings to mind Chico or Groucho with his comic timing and quick moves.

One of the best faces in musical theatre has got to be Bill Nolte as Mansour, the Egyptian producer. His expressions lead us from slick car salesman niceties to, dare I say, terrorist conviction with ease. His baritone voice fairly rattles the windows (had there been any!).

What came to my mind when Jill Abramovitz first steps onstage was "she acts like Fanny Brice or Imogene Coca." Later I found out she did play Fanny in Funny Girl. Abramovitz is a comic gem. Thin, wiry with gangly features, she has a way of bouncing around the stage and you just can't help but grin. She has a second banana role as Nazirah, the translator/dumb brunette for the Qatar musical team, but is no milquetoast, belting out a number and taking full presence.

All the actors take on quick, very minor characters with the switch of a costume or prop. However, Bruce Warren has two distinct parts that provide him the opportunity for full spectrum camp. First he plays Farid, a famous Middle Eastern star who fancies himself somewhere between Laurence of Arabia and Rudolph Valentino as The Sheik. A bit over the top, Warren plays him as straight as the role (and costume) will allow. He too has a deep baritone voice and the harmonizing with Nolte is breathtaking. Warren also plays Claudio, our doomed musical's preeminent choreographer. Think SNL's Mango, Richard Simmons and Jack Black with leg warmers – ew, on second thought, maybe not. Claudio is camp personified and Warren lets the freak flag fly! That certain lisp, a bit of a stomach paunch, Fosse moves and you get the picture. Great fun.

I want to note scenic and costume designers, Michael Bottari and Ronald Case and lighting designer, Susan A. White, for their clever way of transitioning several settings with back screen templates of famous places to designate the five cities on "the road." Rolling office chairs become airplane rows or theatre seats. Hospital screen partitions turn into elevator doors. Steps switch from desks to keyboard to RV with a simple flip. The most fun comes from the props designed by Jane Quetin with a huge nod to the flavor of the old time variety show. Need to indicate air flight -- walk a cardboard airplane across the stage. No budget for an opera chorus -- a row of cut-out faces with holes for the actors' mouths will do. Even the Amir and his "Amirness" are royally presented by two half mannequins plopped on chairs! Anything goes and it all works beautifully.

Not seen onstage, one might forget about the music or assume it was pre-recorded. This band will not let you forget they are there. David Caldwell, as music director, gives the actors something to work with and all they need to perform at their best. The well-balanced trio consists of Caldwell on piano, Steve Begnoche on drums and Andy Greatorex on bass with his bass head waving above the pit!

Phillip George, of Forbidden Broadway, renown directed and staged The Road to Qatar like a Marx Brothers movie -- all geared for comedy, no stage filler and no waiting for the slow to catch up. Some places might have been a bit too quick but this musical would never work at a leisurely pace and is made for speed. Having been a longtime stage manager, my hat goes off to Margaret J. Soch for keeping the look and feel of the show precise and those cues tight.

All roads lead to Rome, so the saying goes. For Lyric Stage, The Road to Qatar leads to fun, frivolity, and the freedom to laugh out loud. Some may take the high(brow) road but, for me, make it the low(brow) road every time.

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