Off-Broadway Review: “Trevor: The Musical”
The new musical “Trevor: The Musical” based on the 1994 short film makes a valid attempt to bring to light the issues and problems that adolescent gay teens face, which result in attempts at suicide. It was a serious problem during the nineties that has continued to the present-day with online bullying and shaming. It is a noble idea to use the musical theater platform to inform a vast, diverse audience of the dilemma, as well as provide a great source of entertainment. The difficulty that arises is how to convert a seventeen-minute short film into a two-hour musical for the stage. The result is a mixed bag. The good news is that the message comes across loud and clear, but the execution lends itself to stereotypes and cliched social situations.
The plot follows Trevor Nelson (a pleasant Holden William Hagelberger) busy navigating his adolescence in 1981 suburbia while dreaming of a life in show business which is fueled by his obsession with Diana Ross (a stunning Yasmeen Sulieman). He is bullied at school but befriends the star of the football team (a convincing Sammy Dell) which sends mixed messages and results in an unfortunate humiliating experience at a school function. The result is an attempted suicide. The book and lyrics by Dan Collins are clear, but the expansion of the storyline comes with a substantial amount of extraneous material that sometimes upstages the message. The music by Julianne Wick Davis is supportive but derivative and seems pale compared to the Diana Ross songbook that is impeccably delivered by the incredible Ms. Sulieman. Direction by Marc Bruni keeps the action moving but the pedestrian choreography by Josh Prince borders on bland. The cast puts in a good effort but is uneven.
It would be the perfect young adult musical had it been moved to the present-day but the choice to keep the story rooted to 1981 makes it difficult for a youthful audience to relate to the material. They now live in a techno world with cyberbullying, computers, and cell phones. They might not even know who Diana Ross is let alone appreciate her music. The audience at the performance I attended was comprised mostly of adults who seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves but obviously had been familiar with that period. Regardless of its pitfalls it has heart and carries an important message. It also may bring to light the Trevor Project, which this show is not associated with, which is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LBGTQ+ young people.
TREVOR: THE MUSICAL
The nineteen-member company of “Trevor: The Musical” includes Holden William Hagelberger as Trevor, Mark Aguirre, Aaron Alcaraz, Ava Briglia, Sammy Dell, Tyler Joseph Gay, Ellie Kim, Colin Konstanty, Brigg Liberman, Diego Lucano, Alyssa Emily Marvin, Isabel Medina, Echo Deva Picone, Dan Rosales, Aryan Simhadri, Yasmeen Sulieman, Sally Wilfert, Aeriel Williams, and Jarrod Zimmerman.
The creative team includes scenic designer Donyale Werle; costume designer Mara Blumenfeld; lighting designer Peter Kaczorowski; sound designers Brian Ronan and Cody Spencer; music director Matt Deitchman; orchestrator Greg Pliska; and casting by Tara Rubin Casting.
“Trevor: The Musical” runs at Stage 42 with no closing date announced. Tickets for “Trevor: The Musical” are on sale at Trevor the Musical | Stage 42 | New York City and Telecharge.com by phone at 212-239-6200 and online at Broadway Tickets Direct from the Box Office | Telecharge. Tickets are also available in person at the Stage 42 (422 West 42nd Street, near 9th Avenue). Running time is 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission.
Photo: Holden William Hagelberger with the cast of “Trevor: The Musical.”
Credit: Joan Marcus.