The Two River Theater in Red Bank opened the 2018-19 season with “Pamela’s First Musical.”
The musical will play through Oct. 7.
Based off of the book by Tony-Award and Pulitzer-Prize winning writer, Wendy Wasserstein, “Pamela’s First Musical,” took the stage for the first time. The book, which was published in 1996, had been delayed in coming to stage after the death of Wasserstein in 2006.
Now, finally making its world premiere on stage, “Pamela’s First Musical,” was a joy to watch and fun for all ages.
The show opened with Pamela (Sarah McKinley Austin) standing in her bedroom amongst many stuffed animals. She held her landline phone, pretending it was an award, as she accepted the phone for her work in acting, singing, directing, set and costume design.
Pamela explained to the audience that her elementary school is about to have an award ceremony for the drama club, and she expects to take home many accolades. Pamela continued to tell everyone how she loves to sit in her bedroom and create different plays and musicals with her stuffed animals and explained how she has such a broad imagination. Pamela also mentioned that it is her birthday.
She then explained how her Aunt Louise (Carolee Carmello) lives in Manhattan and has always promised to take her to a Broadway musical, she is hoping that for her birthday this year her Aunt Louise will take her to New York City for a show.
The landline telephone in her hands rings and it is Aunt Louise on the other end. She called to wish Pamela a happy birthday. Pamela asks her if she will take her to see a Broadway musical this year and Aunt Louise happily agreed. Pamela, knowing that her Aunt has made this promise to her before, knows that she should not get her hopes up.
As Pamela finished the phone conversation with her Aunt Louise, her bed extends upward, and her Aunt Louise appeared.
Clearly in one of Pamela’s imaginative states, Aunt Louise performed, “The Broadway Song,” along with Pamela’s stuffed animals who all come to life on stage.
This opening number was a highlight of the show. It really showed the audience how far Pamela’s imagination really takes her while showing how much she values the relationship that she has with her Aunt Louise. It also was a lot of fun to watch as the ensemble of stuffed animals danced their way onto stage and performed alongside Pamela and her Aunt Louise.
A knock on Pamela’s door occurred and we are immediately back to Pamela’s normal bedroom, without all of the live stuffed animals and her imagined aunt.
It’s her father, Kevin (Howard McGillin), who came to wish Pamela a happy birthday. He tells her to get dressed and come downstairs, his girlfriend, Lyndell (Erica Dorfler) and her daughter, Jessica (Hillary Fisher) have stopped by to wish her a happy birthday and have prepared a breakfast for her.
Pamela’s face immediately turned to disgust and she tells her father how much she dislikes his girlfriend. He becomes defensive and pleads with Pamela to come around to her. He then revealed that Pamela’s mother had died and he knows that it has been hard for Pamela without her. He reinforced his wish for her to come downstairs and leaves.
As he left, Pamela’s older brothers intruded into her bedroom as well. The middle child, Daniel (Wesley J. Barnes) ran in to show Pamela his frog and chased her around her bedroom with it, until the eldest brother, Thomas (Blake Zolfo) entered and told Pamela that she needs to start acting more normal. He explained to her that his reputation at school could be in jeopardy if Pamela doesn’t stop talking to herself and living in an imaginative world. The two leave and Pamela is left alone in her bedroom.
Sarah McKinley Austin as Pamela bursts into her first solo number of the musical, “Where All the Pieces Fit.” As an eleven-year-old girl, you can see how powerful and striking her voice really is. It didn’t surprise me at all to see that Two River Theater would find such incredible talent at such a young age.
Pamela’s father’s voice boomed across the stage and tells her to come downstairs at once. The set of Pamela’s bedroom rises from the floor and we are now in the downstairs portion of the Connecticut home.
Kevin’s girlfriend, Lyndell and her daughter, Jessica greet her with a happy birthday, as Pamela rudely acknowledged them. Kevin apologized for her behavior and tells Pamela to say sorry to the two. She reluctantly did, and Lyndell says to forget it even happened. She told Pamela how she and Jessica have prepared a nice breakfast for her birthday and present a dairy-free egg white frittata. The eleven-year-old’s face of disgust returned for the second time that morning.
In walks Aunt Louise, and Pamela’s mood instantly changed. She carried a bag with a cake box and three different types of ice cream.
Pamela seems at ease for the first time on her birthday, when Lyndell told Pamela that her and her father have another birthday surprise for her that morning. The two announce that they have become engaged, and Pamela does not know how to react.
Eventually coming to her senses, she screamed at Lyndell that she will never replace her mother and stormed out of her house.
Her Aunt Louise pulled up next to her on three-wheeled motorized cycle and informs Pamela that she is taking her to New York City for her birthday to see her first Broadway musical. Aunt Louise placed a helmet on her head, and the two drove off for Manhattan.
“Pamela’s First Musical,” continues at Two River Theater, 21 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank, through October 7. For tickets and information, go to www.tworivertheater.org; 732-345-1400.
