Theatre review: Bound! The Musical is "bound" for great things
New musical retells Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost with an intentionally silly plot about a dictator, a track and field team, evil plans, and mistaken identities
Bound! The Musical (In Concert). Photo by Joelle Wyminga
Bound! The Musical (In Concert) was at Metro Theatre November 19 and 20
THE WORD “BOUND” can be used in a couple of different ways. It could refer to being restricted to something, or else en route to a destination. Bound! The Musical (In Concert) examines how a group of people in the fictional town of Middleburg experience both uses of the word in the unusual aftermath of an election.
This show was a semi-staged reading of what the creators hope will develop into a fully staged production. And if all goes to plan, it’s “bound” to make a splash, because it has all the workings of a satisfying musical comedy.
Bound! is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, set to a Beatles-influenced score by Wayne Morris, and book by Glen Freedman and Morris. The musical unapologetically revels in wordplay, silliness, and outlandish storylines, complete with evil plans and mistaken identities. As such, the premise is intentionally ridiculous. At the start of the show, we learn that Middleburg has transformed from a town into a country overnight, because of an election won by a power-hungry dictator. The new regime is rolling out strict new rules and there’s Big Brother-like surveillance and PSA announcements (animatedly delivered by Juliana de Medeiros who also doubles as one of the show’s narrators).
Understandably, the group of Middleburg residents feel hopelessly “bound” in this new situation. One of the dictator’s first decrees is assigning a group of young men to be Middleburg’s Olympic track and field team, and they have two weeks to shape up for an evaluation. The reluctant Olympic-bound athletes are also instructed to sign the Promised Land Olympic Pledge (PLOP), which forces them to abstain from vices and distractions such as sugary treats and interacting with women. However, when a group of female researchers decide they need to study elite male athletes, they become determined to bend the PLOP rules to get what they want.
Directed and choreographed by Hailey Fowler, Bound! is wonderfully charming, thanks in large part to a talented high-energy cast with terrific comedy, song, and dance skills. The production actually overdelivers in its “in-concert” approach, as almost all the musical numbers, including some entertaining dance numbers, are fully choreographed with no scripts in sight. Other times, we see the odd performer holding their script binder in hand. However, it never takes away from the show’s engaging quality. Two standout numbers include “Measure Up!”, where Fowler’s playful choreography sees the women examining the men with tape measures for “research purposes”, and later on “Just What You Need”, when one party attempts to fool the other through disguise.
There’s a throwback battle-of-the-sexes theme to the show, and except for the occasional use of a mobile phone, the story could easily be set in the 1950s. That era would certainly fit with the style of the show’s dialogue and—despite some hilarious suggestive adult references—overall wholesomeness. Samantha Levy is a scene stealer in her female-disguised-as-male role, which is of course a staple in many Shakespearean comedies. And keeping in the style of rom coms, the men (Isaac Aaron Johnson, Pier Francesco Marchi, Mugasha Rutega, and David Underhill) are stereotypically dopey in contrast to the group of sharp-witted women (Saxony Eccleston, Amanda Spinosa, and Maraya Franca).
Not every element of the show has been refined yet. Among the many jokes (most of which are successful), some don’t land. The romance between the characters of Jasmine and Antonio feels forced, and not all the pieces of the story make sense, particularly the abrupt ending. There are also some confusing elements in the concert staging. The narrators call out “black out” at the end of every scene, but sometimes there actually is a physical black out, and other times, there isn’t.
But the show makes no secret that it’s a work in progress, and memberes of its writing team are vehemently calling for feedback from audiences, offering a QR code in the program for input. On opening night, there was even an audience feedback session following the performance. Given the team’s appetite for feedback and commitment to further develop the show, Bound! has great potential. Add to that Morris’s catchy score, which includes upbeat tunes like “Bound to Figure Out”, and Franca and Rutega’s moving duet “Like Juliet and Romeo”.
And while Morris’s message and the cast imagery in the program pay homage to the Beatles’ influence on the score, the songs—though great—don’t particularly tie to memories of the Beatles. And considering the show is already an homage to Love’s Labour’s Lost, adding the Beatles theme on top of things may overly complicate things. Regardless, it’ll be exciting to see where *Bound!* is bound for. 
Related Articles
