PLEASANT GROVE — As much as I love seeing the classics on stage, it is very exciting when something new to our area premieres. And it is even more thrilling when that production is staged by a brand new company trying to make a name for themselves. And that’s exactly what the DoGood Theater’s new production of the Broadway musical Bandstand offers. Performed at the Liahona Theater, this beautiful musical pays tribute to veterans with moving song and dance, well performed by all involved.
Bandstand premiered on Broadway in 2017 and features music by Richard Oberacker with a book and lyrics by him and Robert Taylor. It tells the story of fictional veteran Donny Novitski who returns from World War II with a wounded heart. He then tries to repair it by forming a band with his fellow soldiers and the wife of his best friend, Michael, who died in battle. Once the band is formed, they try to win a contest to be in a movie and record at NBC. The soldiers’ struggle to assimilate back into society is a major theme of the musical, and plays out in music and verse.
Because World War II was a fight against the evils of Nazism, it is often portrayed on stage and screen in very vanilla terms. Bandstand avoids such sentimentality, and gets into the gritty reality of PTSD, survivor’s guilt, grief and other trauma. Some characters turn to alcohol to cope, others retrench inside, others turn to religion. Director Luke Garrett has captured these diverse and challenging experiences with a large cast who are, for the most part, young and raw in their performances.
Luke Urry reminded me of a young Aaron Tveit in his performance as Donny. He’s charismatic and believable leading the band and in more emotional moments. In one scene, he described a grenade detonation so powerfully and effectively that made me tear up. He also played the piano well and hit the high notes in songs like “Just Like It Was Before” and “This Is the Life”.
Kiley Todd Drake is also strong as Michael’s widow, Julia Trojan, highlighted by her nailing the 11 o’clock number “Welcome Home” in the band’s final NBC broadcast. It was also neat to see the other actors playing the band members perform their instruments. Ian Pratt especially stood out as the trumpeter Nick.
The choreography by Marin Miller is also a standout, with the large ensemble swing dancing and performing modern dance styles in various clubs and on the air. There were times when the dancers weren’t lit well, which I found to be an odd artistic choice as I would have liked to see what they were doing—but I suppose they were trying to give the atmosphere of a club. Nevertheless, I prefer when the dancers are well lit and I can see the routines play out.
There were times when the microphones gave performers grief, but it was mostly in the beginning and didn’t stop momentum of the story too much (Caleb Dillenbeck was credited as the audio engineer) — the Liahona Theater seems to be a problematic venue when it comes to sound in my experience. Spotlights (operated by Ryan Gililland and Ryker Miller) could be improved as well, as the light felt a bit wobbly and sometimes actors weren’t illuminated when it seemed they were supposed to be.
The costumes by Jessie Stier felt authentic to the 1940s, including appropriate hair pins and nets for the ladies. I particularly loved the yellow dress that Julia wore for the big finale number. The simple sets mostly consisted of a brick wall that remains constant on stage throughout the production. Props by Tawnya Bearss, Nicole Miller and Grace Miller were also on the simpler side, with tables, telephones and such basic items that all appeared period accurate and did the job. My only gripe was the radio announcer scenes were mostly staged behind the set so we only saw the heads of the performers. Later when the characters were in the studio, the radio personalities were moved upstage—I wish they’d always been like that.
The main reason, however, to see Bandstand at DoGood is the stirring music, well performed by the cast, and the moving story. This tale of recovery hopefully will help remind us of the sacrifice so many of our veterans have paid— sometimes not making it home. As Julia sings in “Who I Was”, some things will never be the same again for them or their families and Bandstand is a tribute to that sacrifice. It’s a beautiful show, lovingly told by an energetic and talented new company.
