“My Illustrious Wasteland,” playing at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, takes you on a trip to the relatively near future. The musical envisions our future nation as a place where children memorize lists of Academy Award winners instead of presidents. People all have bio PCs implanted in their brains and the prospect of reality is associated with terrorism.
The musical often delights with its camp and kitsch, but occasionally slides into the stale clutches of cliché. The protagonist Mogs, played with some tentative restraint by Chris McIntyre, sets out on a mission to deliver everyone from the clutches of the dominant regime. Like in any work of popular science fiction, the light of his father guides Mogs on his journey. He receives aid along the way from his uncle, a band of roving realists, and the evil president’s wife.
The angular and shiny costumes may scream of unoriginality, but once you look past that the energetic performances from the ensemble bring out and highlight a quality musical score. “A Near Love Song” laments the detached nature of interpersonal communication as Mogs develops a virtual relationship with the first lady, Sunny Day. Brittany Berkowitz easily brings life to Sunny Day, characterizing her as a typical blonde airhead with a heart. Her voice shines through the cast, overshadowing some of the weaker male performances.
“My Illustrious Wasteland” also stars Tod Kimbro, the man responsible for the book, music and lyrics for the show. Kimbro pulls double duty playing the evil President Reverend M.D. and his underground counterpart, The Troubadour. Kimbro’s Troubadour honestly connects with the audience as he guides us through this sometimes convoluted tale. However, his actions as the evil leader often fall flat. He unsuccessfully channels David Bowie from “Labyrinth” and his awkward motions and sharp facial features attempt to convey the mystique of Jack Sparrow, but he lacks the charisma needed for a villain in a silly and light piece such as this.
The show often beats the audience over the head with what they have already been beaten over the head by. Yes, we know that people constantly shovel any media that they can get their hands on down their fat gullets and yes, we also realize that the concept of implanted brain computers looms on the horizon. We have received this message for years from all sorts of science fiction, and manifesting these ideas on stage in the form of a musical can hardly be called original.
The charm and originality in this show come from the music. The up tempo rock musical always has action on the stage, including fun and provocative dance numbers choreographed by Blue. The ensemble performance is tight and fun to watch as they move around the large space that the Lowndes Shakespeare Center grants them. Most of the numbers rock relatively hard, so if you’re in the mood for mindless musical fun, “My Illustrious Wasteland” will no doubt entertain.
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