REVIEW: Stereophonic (National Theatre)
It only took three goes at it, but I finally have the time to sit and write a proper review for Stereophonic, the massively successful play that’s totally not about Fleetwood Mac. I admit that I while excited, I was pretty perplexed that the show would be touring. It’s the most Tony-nominated show of all time, I get it, but the show thrived on its yearslong gestation, particularly its cast that stuck with the work from humble beginnings all through its Broadway run. How can a new cast and the hassles of the road capture this level of magic?
Book/Music
1976, Sausalito, a recording studio. The occupying band’s got no name (to us, anyway). Nor does the album; either this one, or the prior one, which is suddenly skyrocketing up the charts. The pressure’s even more on than it was before. David Adjmi’s book for Stereophonic is essentially a fly-on-the-wall documentary on the makings of a pop rock classic. This allows the band members (singer Diana, bassist Reg, guitarist Peter, keyboardist Holly, and drummer Simon) to develop individually via casual mannerisms and pockets of gestural silence. On Broadway, this led to a 3-hour-plus runtime full, of nuance and tension, which makes for a less-than-ideal touring production. The tour, or radio edit, as it were, trims enough fat to bring it down to just under two-forty-five. But the elements cut might have been better included to pick the pace up, as long stretches of (apparently comedic?) pauses now feel mismatched and grind things to a screeching halt for no healthy reason. The thrown-off rhythm distracts from the interplay of characters sometimes, but still mostly finds its footing. The greatest consequence of the cuts seem to be regarding Grover and Charlie, the studio engineers; Grover has consistently been my favorite character through my three viewings of this play, and his role feels like borderline comic relief at times now, instead of the grounding force for the action. And yes, there are still the songs by Will Butler: the very, very good ones that are Fleetwood Mac-y in all the right ways. 5/10
Acting
This cast, as mentioned, lacks the opportunities to mesh as the originating one did. But these guys are on the road, too, right? So they’re basically a real band?
Well, kinda. The performances vary in quality wildly, most of which hinging on weak accent work for the British characters. Their physical presence is uniform, and saves the show from buckling, alongside commanding roles from Claire DeJean’s Diana and Denver Milord’s Peter. 6/10
Production
The coziness of the environment is a monumental achievement on the part of director Daniel Aukin. How can such intense, coke-driven explosions of artistic expression feel like a regular living room? Thank David Zinn’s phenomenal studio set for this. The period is additionally well-supported by excellent 70’s costumes by Enver Chakartash. The music is crucial to the experience, and while everything seemed well-arranged, the quality was initially blown-out and smudgy, and it was unclear if it was an intentional choice or just a fluke. 6/10
Viz
Zinn’s wooden cathedral of sound is all that greets you in the National Theatre. But it’s just so good-looking, and the more you scrutinize, the more you enjoy the craftsmanship. It’s the 70’s, man. The program art with its dingy cream and maroon pallete is such a delicious vintage combo, too, and the entire show’s branding has been on point since the beginning. 10/10
Verdict
Stereophonic is still an excellent play with razor-sharp characters and incredible songs, make no mistake; but touring it was certainly a choice, one I am not sure will pay dividends due to shaky cuts and an inconsistent ensemble. 27/40
