THE HANGOVER REPORT – Boasting a luminous bluegrass score, PREJUDICE & PRIDE cleverly updates Jane Austen’s beloved romantic comedy

P.T. Mahoney, Tim Ahlenius, and Christian Owen in “Prejudice and Pride” at 59E59 Theaters (photo by Brian Paulette).

Last night at Off-Broadway’s 59E59 Theaters, I attended the new bluegrass musical Prejudice and Pride. Adapted from Jane Austen’s classic romantic comedy, the production updates the beloved novel to present-day America, gender-swapping many of the characters along the way — e.g., the squirly central couple are now known as Ms. Darcy Fitzwilliams and amd Mr. Bennett Longborn.

The glue that holds the work together is indisputably Sam Wright’s luminous original bluegrass score, which hooks audiences from the get-go with its melody, musicianship, and authentic soul (the score compares favorably to Steve Martins and Edie Brickell’s excellent bluegrass songs for the underrated and short-lived musical Bright Star). Kudos must also go to Wright and Kansas City-based folk band Gullywasher for their superb guitar and banjo-based orchestrations. To boot, the book by Wright and Nicholas Collett is also inspired, cleverly updating and inverting the beloved Austen novel, even if some of its amusing tongue-in-cheek shenanigans at times get in the way of ultimately achieving a more fulfilling emotional payoff.

The scrappy, big-hearted production has been staged with efficient ingenuity by co-book writer Collett (if you’ve been to Bedlam production, you’ll get the general picture). Overall, the hardworking cast is solid, with some of them taking on multiple roles and playing instruments. The show’s standout and grounding force is the omnipresent, golden-voiced Wright, who takes in the role of Bennett Longborn with warmth and easy-going charisma.

RECOMMENDED

PREJUDICE & PRIDE
Off-Broadway, Musical
59E59 Theaters / SamWrites & Nicholas Collett Productions
2 hours (including an intermission)
Through August 20

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

Leave a Reply