Broadway Bounty Hunter

Broadway Bounty Hunter

Greenwich House Theater

August 7, 2019

Photo courtesy of Broadway Bounty Hunter

Broadway Bounty Hunter is the most fun you’ll have in an Off-Broadway Theater.  How can you go wrong with music and lyrics by Joe Iconis?  He partners on the book for this project with Lance Rubin, and Jason Sweettooth Williams to create an unexpected laugh riot.  Every set-up in Act I pays off in multitudes in Act II.  Director/Choreographer Jennifer Werner uses every corner of the Greenwich House Theater to give her powerful, high-energy cast the space to let loose and captivate every member of the audience.

Annie (played by Annie Golden) was a Broadway star back in her day.  Being a “woman of a certain age,” she is now having trouble getting work.  Her husband, a Broadway director and producer, died ten years earlier, leaving her broken-hearted and vulnerable.  She is visited one night by Shiro Jin (played by Emily Borromeo), and recruited to be a bounty hunter.  Having nothing to lose, she accepts the challenge.  After vigorous training, she is partnered with Lazarus (played by Alan H. Green), who reluctantly agrees to take her under his wing.  Their first mission is to find and bring back alive Mac Roundtree (played by Brad Oscar), a deadly drug dealer in South America.  What lies ahead for Annie is a journey of self-discovery and empowerment beyond anyone’s imagination.

The Full Cast of Broadway Bounty Hunter
Photo courtesy of Broadway Bounty Hunter

Annie Golden, Alan H. Green, and Brad Oscar are magnificent together.  They play the humor with just the right amount of edge.  They hit every laugh and make this raucous story truthful and believable.  Emily Borromeo, Badia Farha, Jasmine Forsberg, Omar Garibay, Jared Joseph, and Christina Sajous do numerous instantaneous costume and character changes, keeping the pace moving fast and the action continually rising.  Just when the story progresses and builds, the plot twists and the stakes spike even higher, making every moment funnier and more dangerous.

Broadway Bounty Hunter is playing at the Greenwich Village Theater.  Treat yourself to a fun time.  You deserve it!

Domenick Danza

Be More Chill

Be More Chill

Lyceum Theatre

March 2, 2019

Photo courtesy of Be More Chill

How do you survive high school… or any tough situation that life dishes out?  You need to Be More Chill.  This musical is beautifully written by Joe Tracz with bold and edgy music and lyrics by Joe Iconis.  Based on the novel by Ned Vizzini, it evaluates the voices in your head that rule your behavior.  Director Stephen Brackett brilliantly brings together all the elements for this energetic, fast paced production.  The choreography by Chase Brock is sharp and tight.  Costumes by Bobby Frederick Tilley II are bright and defining.  Lighting design by Tyler Micoleau and scenic design by Beowulf Boritt are distinct and unified.  The cast is simply phenomenal, most of them taking on more than one role in the show.

Jeremy (played by Will Roland) is a geek.  His goal is to survive another day in high school.  His Dad (played by Jason SweetTooth Williams) is in a state of depression since his wife left them, causing him to stay at home and not put his pants on.  Jeremy has a crush on Christine (played by Stephanie Hsu).  She is a free spirited theatre geek who doesn’t notice him.  He is bullied at school by Rich (played by Gerard Canonico), who tells him about the squip, a micro-chip in a pill that programs your brain and controls your behavior.  This was Rich’s answer to becoming popular, and can be Jeremy’s solution as well.  Jeremy tells his best friend, Michael (played by Troy Iwata), who goes with him to purchase the squip.  Things move very quickly for Jeremy when The Squip (played by Jason Tan) takes over his brain.  Before you know it, everything is out of control.  His father has to put on his big boy pants to help Jeremy before it’s too late.

Stephanie Hsu & Will Roland
Photo courtesy of Be More Chill

Will Roland and Stephanie Hsu have a strong chemistry as Jeremy and Christine.  Amid the fast paced momentum of the show, they find genuine moments of connection.  Troy Iwata, the understudy for the role of Michael, rocks the house.  Jason Tam is beguiling and commanding as The Squip.  Tiffany Mann blows the roof off the theatre as Jenna with her powerful vocal range.  Strong performances are also delivered by Britton Smith, Katlyn Carlson, and Lauren Marcus. 

Photo courtesy of Be More Chill

Be More Chill already has a strong cult following after successful productions at Two River Theatre in New Jersey and Off Broadway at The Pershing Square Signature Center.  Get a ticket and experience it for yourself.  It will dazzle and energize you! 

Domenick Danza