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Hercules in High Suburbia

nytheatre.com review by Kevin Connell
August 15, 2005

Wouldn’t it be funny to take the Hercules myth, update it, set it in modern-day suburbia, add a bunch of one-liners, and have all the characters break into song? Yeah, sure, it could be. But Hercules In High Suburbia (in this incarnation) simply didn’t work for me. Now—in all fairness—there were members of the audience who seemed to be having a good time. I simply didn’t have the same experience.Yes—the cast of actors are impressive and collectively have substantial film, TV, Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional credits. But in this production, something is amiss. Perhaps it is a thinly constructed script that seems to exist only to thread a path to the next song? Perhaps it is the airtime wasted between scenes and characters' entrances and exits? Perhaps it is the one dimensional performance style that seems forced—more about actors selling a show than characters coming to life? Perhaps.Writer/director Mary Fulham has penned and staged this production about Hercules, the greatest hero of Greek mythology. As writer, she has gleaned only the barest of plotlines from the original Greek tragedy. She introduces us to a Hercules, his father Zeus (a god), and his mother Megara (a mortal). For some reason—not explained in the production—Hercules has been gone for three years, lost in the underworld, otherwise known as Hades. Meanwhile, back in suburbia, Megara is being evicted by Lycus. Hercules returns, strangles Lycus with a golf club, and eventually goes mad, killing his three sons—Ernie, Chip, and Rob. He repents his actions—end of story. Thrown into the mix is a messenger in the guise of a security guard, a pink satyr, a newscaster, and a dominatrix Playboy bunny named Madness. But sadly, Fulham’s direction lacks the vision necessary to actualize the intended comic sendup of the tragic original.Making his musical theatre debut, the production’s composer/lyricist, Paul Foglino, succeeds in his score of 1950s spin-offs of tunes—a bit rockabilly, a bit Delta blues. But his lyrics are less memorable and fail to move the action of the story forward.The cast includes Hal Blankenship, Ellen Foley, Dan Matisa, Postell Pringle, Dana Vance, and Neal Young. In this production of failed “bigger, faster, funnier,” Vance’s performances as the Satyr, Madness, and the Newscaster are particularly noteworthy. She finds success in bold understatement, clearly defined characterizations, and a natural comic timing, bringing to life the only genuine moments in this Hercules.