He Can't Love You
Michael Stanley Band
Heartland
Saw Ten Minutes from Cleveland at Dobama last night. A fitting choice for Dobama's final show on Coventry - local playwright, local subject matter, a comedy, and a big, big hit. When I interviewed the owner of the building last month (the one who tried evicting them around Thanksgiving) he said it was just as well, Dobama wasn't attracting the crowds they did in their hey-day. What he knows about it, I can't imagine, he's only owned the place since 2003.Well. Selling-out is the best revenge. Jesus. I hope it extends, it should.
It's a real fun show. I truly adored the entire ensemble - Nick was killing me in every one of her scenes, Sadie is a freak of nature and we love her so - the set is delightful, the direction tight and goofy. And Eric (the playwright) manages to cram an astonishing number of Cleveland references, trivia and gags into the evening, it's really an impressive feat. And I can only imagine how impenetrable and not-funny it would be to anyone who isn't from here, but hey, it isn't for them.
The thing I am left with this morning however (apart from the lingering reminder of how much I liked it) was the absence of something I finally determined was the melancholy I feel as someone who has lived here my entire life - something which the playwright has not done. I can't put my finger on it ... everything is correct in the play, but it doesn't feel true. Maybe if Eric had lived here during the 70s rather than just reading about. It's stupid, I know, it's a comedy, but, mmn, I don't know, there's just, rrgh, can't put my finger on it. Oh well. I give up. This is pointless. It's too much fun, tell your friends, go see it.
6 comments:
the michael stanley band???? you're not that old. i can only assume you're just trying to prove how old-school-cleveland you are.
Dude! I'm older than you!
Curtain call music for the show is (wait, wait, I'll let you guess) MSB's "My Town" - which I cannot stand. No, the best MSB songs weren't sung by the man himself, and truth be told I never liked their music, though I was present at one of their two hundred farewell gigs at the Front Row.
Something about "He Can't Love You" I always really, really, really liked. Reminds me of seventh grade (that would be, yes, 1980) on yet another Friday night at the "canteen" at the Bay High Rec Center, having my heart crushed ... again.
honestly, my impression of msb has been formed only by seeing commercials for them for local fests and hearing justin's aunts talk about them and one really awful local documentary about them on one of the local channels (the perils of not having cable!), so i don't actually know any of their songs and am just being an ignorant snob, but i will look forward to hearing "my town" in a few weeks when i see your show.
and seventh grade in 1980 only makes you one year older than me, smartypants.
OK, I'm a huge Cleveland geek. Trust me, I know who stole the keeshka, but Michael Stanley?
I'm a bit embarrased for the both of you.
They play "Who Stole the Keeshka"! What I missed was whether or not they fit "Funky Poodle" into the pre-show mix, I was sorry it didn't make it into the actual show somewhere.
Now, cool it wit da boom-booms.
I'm so at this play, asap.
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