Today I experienced one of those “only in NYC” experiences: BROOKLYNITE, a new show playing at the Vineyard Theatre. The show has a lot of star power behind it – book by Peter Lerman and Michael Mayer (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Spring Awakening), music and lyrics by Peter Lerman, with characters created by Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman. The show opens this 2/25 and plays for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 22nd. I found it to be electrifying, vibrant and incredibly unique, akin to when I saw Rent in its early days playing the off-Broadway stage.
BROOKLYNITE is inspired by the real Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company located in Park Slope. Its characters were created especially for the musical by well-known writers Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman. The play is deliciously inspired and written about my favorite borough, one that has grown exponentially over the past 10 years or so. It has an edge, much like Brooklyn, an Indie vibe as seen through the lens of the direcor (Mayer) and projected through the costumes, set and accompanying band that plays pop music along to the songs written for the show. There are video game touches and sounds, adding to the superhero/retro feel and funkiness the borough holds today.
The play salutes what Brooklyn has become, making references to hipsters without being too cheesy or insulting. It references soaring rents and other blatant similiarities to Manhattan but most of all, it’s a lullaby to a great place New Yorkers are full of love for. It’s main character, Trey Swieskowski) is an idealistic hardware store clerk who dreams of becoming a superhero. Astrolass, Brooklyn’s most celebrated superhero, is determined to throw in the cape and live like a normal Brooklynite. When they meet they hatch a plan that will change their lives forever.
Together with an excellent ensemble cast, they sing and laugh through two hours of story telling and what is ultimately a homage to Brooklyn. As a New Yorker, I fully appreciated the references to my beloved town: Mayer and Lerman’s new musical Brooklynite is laden with tongueincheek references that will have audiences giggling in their seats: The abundance of strollers in Park Slope, the slowness of the G train and derivative artists’ collectives in Red Hook. Astrolass, as portrayed by Nicolette Robinson, a stage newcomer, is African American. I love that not only the show’s main character is a black female but a superhero at that. Brilliant.
The cast of Brooklynite boasts an array of Broadway and Off-Broadway talent, featuring stars like Matt Doyle (The Book of Mormon), Nick Cordero (Bullets Over Broadway), Andrew Call (Rock of Ages), Gerard Canonico (Spring Awakening) and Tom Alan Robbins (The Lion King) among others. Robinson, a stage newcomer, is so refreshing and talented in the lead role as AstroLass.
But Brooklyn is also a main character. The set design is very Brooklynesque, which evokes the DYI and retro aesthetic so popular in the borough today. I left the theater loving Brooklyn more than when I went in and that’s saying a lot.
For more information, please visit www.vineyardtheatre.org.
Disclosure: I was provided with comp tickets to facilitate this interview but all opinions are my own.
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