THE HANGOVER REPORT – Jill Sobule finally kisses a girl in her plucky rock concert memoir F*CK7THGRADE

Kristen Ellis-Henderson, Jill Sobule, and Nini Camps in Sobule’s autobiographical musical “F*ck7thGrade” at the wild project (photo by Eric McNatt).

Last night, I trekked to the East Village to see Jill Sobule’s autobiographical F*ck7thGrade, which is currently completing its extended run at the wild project. The self told and sung rock concert cum Off-Broadway show — which features the wonderful contributions of Secrets of the Vatican, a rollicking all-female band who not only provide the rock star with sturdy musical back-up but also chip in with the endeavor’s theatrical storytelling — charts Sobule’s life from nerdy, picked upon child to reluctant rock star and out-and-proud lesbian.

Obvious comparisons will inevitably be made to My Window, Melissa Etheridge’s similar rock concert memoir which enjoyed a successful limited engagement earlier this fall at Off-Broadway’s New World Stages. Apart from being accomplished rockers, both are also (now) outspoken lesbians and defiant LGBTQ advocates who are engaging the theatrical form to tell their stories. Unlike Etheridge’s meandering but instinctual storytelling (which stretched her show to nearly three hours), Sobule opts for succinct, punchy musings (resulting in a zippy 90 minutes) — the plucky book is by Liza Birkenmeier — which has both its benefits and limitations. Indeed, although I appreciate the effort to maximize efficiency, the approach by necessity (and by design?) only scratches the surface of the singer-songwriter’s life journey.

As a performer, Sobule is an endearingly quirky if not necessarily warm stage presence. As such, the show’s emotional center becomes its exuberant music-making — kudos to music director Julie Wolf (doubling as one of the three members of the onstage band), who gives Sobule’s songs an authentic rock sound — of which there is plenty of. To be sure, songs like “Strawberry Gloss”, “Forbidden Thoughts of Youth”, “Sold My Soul”, “Underdog Victorious”, and of course “I Kissed a Girl” make prominent appearances. The whole thing has been brought together with great care by director Lisa Peterson, whose staging admirably mashes rock concert with legitimate theater.

RECOMMENDED

F*CK7THGRADE
Off-Broadway, Musical
the wild project
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through November 19

Categories: Broadway, Music, Other Music, Theater

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