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Miriam (Catie Marron) is perky like her sister, but unlike Daphne doesn\u2019t want to be an actress. She\u2019s an astronomy nerd, and content to be a waitress. Before they leave, Miriam talks to her deceased father, who assures her that we are made of stars and \u201cyou\u2019re connected to everything and always will be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harold, Daphne and Miriam will meet, triangulate and form the nucleus of \u201cFly by Night,\u201d a bittersweet but charming 2015 musical making its local premiere through Dec. 10 at Coronado Playhouse.<\/p>\n
\u201cFly by Night,\u201d conceived by Kim Rosenstock and written by Will Connolly, Michael Mitnick and Rosenstock, jumps around in time and is billed as a\u00a0\u201cmetaphysical musical.\u201d In this case, that means that all of these characters are looking for connection \u2014 and they all seem to feel that \u201cI need more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Our guide in this search for meaning will be the Narrator, wonderfully played by Michael Van Allen, who also morphs into several other characters along the way, including the girls\u2019 mom, a hoot of a Gypsy and a few Broadway producers Daphne must deal with.<\/p>\n
Also along for this musical search for self is Harold\u2019s father Mr. McClam (John Craig Johnson), who is stuck in the past \u2014 missing his deceased wife Cecily \u2014 and now spends too much time listening to \u201cLa Traviata,\u201d the operatic event that brought them together all those years ago.<\/p>\n
Playwright Joey Storms (Andrew Paiva), one of those writers who never really finishes a script but keeps changing it (I can identify), will meet Daphne at an audition (another one where she fails to land a part). She calls his script \u201cworse than garbage.\u201d Could she be his muse?<\/p>\n
And Crabble (Thomas Fitzpatrick), Harold\u2019s deli owner boss, feels stuck in his \u201cmayonnaise, meat, cheese \u2018n lettuce\u201d existence when he\u2019d rather be an air traffic controller like he was during the war.<\/p>\n
\u201cFly by Night\u201d is an odd bird as musicals go. Set in 1964 and 1965, it\u2019s a creature of those self-actualization pre-hippie years before Vietnam took over our consciousness (and conscience) and pushed us into active protest mode. These folks aren\u2019t angry about anything; they just \u201cwant more.\u201d<\/p>\n
They are familiar characters with recognizable problems, made engaging by the superb performances of these actors (many of whom are new to both the Playhouse and me).<\/p>\n
Bennett\u2019s sandwich-maker Harold may be diffident, sweet and unsure of himself, but his high, beautiful falsetto is anything but that. I could listen to that voice all night.<\/p>\n
His dad, on the other hand \u2014 Johnson\u2019s Mr. McClam \u2014 is the saddest character, spending his time thinking (maybe even living) in the past.<\/p>\n
Brown-Sampson\u2019s Daphne is as determined as Marron\u2019s Miriam is contented, and both have that big Broadway sound that works well in this show.<\/p>\n
Fitzpatrick\u2019s Crabble even has a crabby stance in his deli. He\u2019s also a hoot to watch.<\/p>\n
But they will be both discombobulated and brought together by the great blackout of \u201965, which left much of the East Coast without power for 13 hours.\u00a0(Funny how recent history makes that seem like a walk in the park.)<\/p>\n
The conversation is familiar and often funny, the songs of the sort that create long-lasting earworms, the messages (if you want it, go get it, and in the end, we are all connected) worth considering one more time.<\/p>\n
In a switch from usual practice, music director Emily Awkerman\u2019s mighty band of four is onstage throughout, almost becoming characters in their own right.<\/p>\n
Karl Bunker\u2019s simple, all-purpose set design works well, and sound and lighting are well handled by Caitlin LaMar and Josh Olmstead, respectively.<\/p>\n
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Director Manny Bejarano\u2019s direction and his fine cast keep these characters real and away from the stereotypes they could easily become, and the show from seeming too long.<\/p>\n
Only the Playhouse\u2019s less-than-cushy seats betray the 2 \u00bd-hour runtime.<\/p>\n
\u201cFly by Night\u201d provides a lovely night in the theater and the show is a welcome addition to the list of American musicals.<\/p>\n