THE HANGOVER REPORT – Radial Park’s “cine-mersive” THE BLUES BROTHERS capitalizes on nostalgia and an interactive party atmosphere

A scene from Radial Park’s hybrid production/screening of “The Blues Brothers”.

Last night, I made the trek all the way out to a remote nook of Astoria to attend the opening night performance of Radial Park’s festive production/screening of The Blues Brothers. Mashing the drive-in movie experience with outdoor live concert and theatrical elements, Radial Park’s unique concoctions has made it one of the very few venues in New York to have been able to safely present live performance during the pandemic. Recent hybrid screenings have included Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera and Prince’s Purple Rain, both of which I unfortunately missed and had been curious about. The current presentation of the 1980s cult classic film The Blues Brothers marks my first Radial Park experience — and, in short, it was a blast.

One of the chief pleasures of these Radial Park productions – which are set stunningly against the panorama of the Manhattan skyline – is how interactive and immersive they are. Performers frequently break through the fourth wall (often in coup-like fashion), inspiring and encouraging audience participation. Indeed, a good portion of last night’s audience was on its feet dancing along with the steady flow of live musical numbers. And given the casual, laid back environment that’s been created – complete with a concession stand and a food truck – audience members are given leave to overtly show their nostalgia for the whatever thoughtfully curated film happens to be playing (think a screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show, and you’ll get the gist). In summary, I’d say Radial Park has a fail-proof formula on its hands.

Given the party vibe of it all, it’s remarkable how well executed this “cine-mersive” version of The Blues Brothers is (special mention to co-directors Kristine Bendul and Waldemar Quinones-Villanueva). Particularly, the transitions from film segments to live concert numbers and back again are seamlessly handled. One would have expected occasional awkward stalls to plague the evening, which happily proved not to be the case. As for the Broadway-credentialed performers (backed by a rollicking live band), they were spectacularly firing on all cylinders on opening night, channeling icons like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and James Brown with vibrancy and thrilling spontaneity.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

THE BLUES BROTHERS
Drive-in cinema / Live concert / Immersive theater
Radial Park
Approximately 2 hours
Every Friday and Saturday evening through June 26

Categories: Music, Off-Broadway, Other Music, Theater

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