Dani Stoller (Judy) and Mike Millan (Jeff) in “Which Way to the Stage” at Signature Theatre. Photo by Daniel Rader.
Especially for fans of Broadway musicals, Ana Nogueira’s new play, “Which Way to the Stage,” is a must-see. Advertised as a comedy that follows NYC musical theatre superfans “Jeff and Judy as they eagerly await their idol Idina Menzel after her performance in ‘If/Then’ at the stage door every night,” only to be somewhat blindsided by the eventual arrival of a “sexy stranger.” Noguiera’s high energy, emotionally-fraught play, at its heart, takes on so much more than simply the escapades of these two friends. The show ultimately proves to be about the barriers that prevent people from genuinely communicating with one another, at least in ways that enable relationships to move meaningfully forward.
…a must-see…the actors work so well together…a highly entertaining evening.
Don’t get me wrong, the musical theatre component is front and center throughout the production. The allusions fly and the icons are ever present in both homage paid and set design—we see neon-lit, almost shrine-like images of Audra Macdonald, Bernadette Peters, and Barbra, among others, during the drag show portions of the play. Luckily, Signature Theatre has provided a “Which Way to the Stage” glossary on their website to assist those who may not be quite so Broadway musical literate. Trust me, it’s definitely helpful here.
What struck me most however about this thirty-something-driven play is that it tackles the kinds of conversations that might otherwise seem taboo anywhere beyond the theatrical stage. For example, can one appropriate certain words and phrases in relation to the LGBTQ community and “get away with it?” What is the difference between “masculine” man-speak and other forms of man-speak? Is the inherent language of drag one of farce or devotion? What words and references are off the table when it comes to a woman’s body? This just scratches the surface of the hyper-aware social and cultural dialogues contained within the play.
Perhaps the production does go just a bit far afield at times with all that it is trying to convey vis-à-vis political correctness and the turmoil that sometimes surrounds such conversational tiptoeing. It threatens, on occasion, to abandon the more broadly comic notes for an Ibsonian-like dalliance with realism as transformed by the day’s trending, socio-political themes. Regardless, the play works, and that is largely because the actors work so well together.
Under Ethan Heard’s fast-paced direction, such that it unabashedly seems to relish having a little fun with itself, Jeff (played by a rather larger-than-life Mike Millan) and Judy (the wonderfully droll and reassuringly relatable Dani Stoller) interact in ways that make you both root for the friendship and despair over how these two will ever make it. They riff fantastically, they spar spiritedly, and they finish each other’s sentences symbiotically. The relationship between the two characters (and actors) is the lodestar around which every other component of the production revolves.
This relationship is tested with the arrival of the resistant-to-labels Mark (Michael Tacconi), as well as by the various auditions Jeff and Judy—both aspiring stage actors—attend. The question of talent and what it takes to be a star consumes each and every one of the characters at some point and includes the multiple characters played by the riotously entertaining Nina-Sophia Pacheco. What’s more, the heated question of superlative talent and what that means for the longevity of a “New York” theatre-based friendship is also center stage. At one point, it is noted that “blowing up your life to follow your drama” is simply par for the course in this world whose theme song could theoretically be summed up by Sally Bowles, “It was a fine affair, but now it’s over.”
The world of drag consumes a fair amount of the production. While Millan does a standout Idina Menzel, it seems to go on a beat too long, at least for me—anxious as I was to get back to the soap opera for the 21st century that is the tsunami named Jeff and Judy. In case you didn’t catch it, the character of Jeff is a wanna-be actor by day and drag diva by night. Drag culture thus spurs some rather weighty discussions about gender identity and the meaning of “masculinity”—if this word can even possess a fixed meaning anymore. Nogueira gives audiences much to ponder here.
Frank Labovitz’s costume design and Ali Pohanka’s wig design are featured players unto themselves. The play is nothing if not incredibly multi-layered. Richard Ouellette’s set is vibrantly clever and when called upon, dazzles with a diva-like grandiosity that deliciously casts a shadow over everything and everyone. Sound design by UptownWorks is at times downright mesmerizing in its flawless and fast-paced execution. While Angie Benson’s music direction rounds out what would otherwise be a flat and uninspired nod to Broadway musicals.
All in all, “Which Way to the Stage” suggests a modern-day update of “Rent’s” milieu, “Cabaret’s” audacity, “Gypsy Rose Lee’s” unapologetic attitude, and “Avenue Q’s” in-your-face outrageousness. It certainly makes for a highly entertaining evening.
Running time: Approximately two hours with no intermission.
Advisory: Adult language, some sexual content.
“Which Way to the Stage” runs through January 22, 2022 at Signature Theatre, 44200 Campbell Ave. Arlington, Virginia 22206. For more information and tickets, go online. Face masks are optional.
