Just got back from opening night of Blackbeard: The Musical at the Herberger Theater in Phoenix.
Wow!
The best thing about it is the music. Here’s its Amazon page: Buy, buy Blackbeard. It is a gorgeous, hummable, give-you-chills score. For some insane reason they weren’t selling it tonight at the theater. I would have bought it and listened to it on the way home.
Rob Gardner is the creator of this. You can really tell when someone’s heart is there. There were these moments when it was like, damn, someone really poured their soul into this. During one song, “To Be Remembered,” I think everyone was caught up in the feeling that not only did this character want to make his mark, but so did the creator of this piece. And he definitely does.
The caliber of every last one of the performers was top-notch. My dear friend Jere Van Patten played, in my opinion, the most cleverly written character in the whole show. Every time he came out people fell in love because he was hilarious - flamboyant and subtle at the same time. I loved how his character had a total man-crush on Blackbeard. He was comic relief, but light years from clownish - the character was very multi-faceted and played, of course, brilliantly. That’s MY friend!
Blackbeard and his love interest were played by a real-life couple who I first heard of when they were cast in a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat a few years ago out here. I confess I never saw the show, but was kind of irritated when I heard a husband and wife had been cast in it. I thought, hmph, must be some connection, some kind of “in.”
You know what that “in” was? TALENT. These two are stunning performers! Tyler and Linsey Maxson. As Blackbeard, he had these piercing blue eyes that just popped out against that black, well, beard. And she, as Mary, was just gorgeous, and with a perfect voice - the kind of voice so satisfying to listen to that you just wanted her to keep singing and never stop. There was something about her that actually reminded me of Audra McDonald, kind of a sophisticated and thoughtful intensity.
With all these performers, the energy is so much in the eyes. It kills me. So often I look in the mirror and I feel like my own eyes are tired, yellow, hooded, puffy. When these people’s eyes are alive with energy, you know the person behind them is, too. That whole “windows of the soul” thing really has some merit, because when someone’s eyes are that expressive, you believe that they have a soul. I know I have a soul, but sometimes don’t think my eyes show it. Mine are more like curtains that hide it and protect what’s inside.
Jordan Bluth was a guy I almost worked with - he was cast in a show with me but then left it because of a conflict. But I remember even then thinking he had a beautiful voice just from the one or two rehearsals. He went to Indiana University’s School of Music, just like me, except he actually graduated with the degree instead of switching out to lame-o liberal arts like I did. He had a beautiful song called “Take Me Instead” that I think was a highlight of the whole show.
So I thought it was really well done. Beautiful costumes, terrific and nuanced performers, very talented creators, excellent orchestra. It’s still for all intents and purposes an early draft, and if it keeps going further, it may well undergo some more editing, tightening, all that kind of evolution that a thing like this necessarily goes through. But the level of talent, commitment, and enthusiasm from everyone involved was really impressive and inspiring. People all coming together and working so hard on a show that’s new, an unproven entity, shows such bravery and faith. I think what I came away most awed by tonight was the courage of everyone involved, taking the chance, the time, the concentration, to make this happen, because someone dreamed it into being. I don’t know the full history of the thing, I don’t know the obstacles they came across to even making it this far, but I know it took guts and persistence on everyone’s part, and they should all be really proud.
I definitely think Blackbeard is worth seeing, for anyone in this area, and for anyone who’s not but loves great Broadway-style music, it’s well worth listening to the concept album. It kind of reminded me of Jekyll and Hyde or Les Miserables, very dramatic and soaring, with of course the prominent pirate motif throughout in the melodies. With the whole Pirates of the Caribbean thing so hot right now, that can only be a good thing!
Congrats to all involved, my hat’s off. I had to flee tonight but I might go back and be a big fat groupie and cajole Jere into taking me to meet all these fantastic performers.
What can I say, I’m a bit of a sucker for a great performer. 
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