Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The freewheeling new musical adaptation of SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED meanders, but it’s a quirky delight

• By drediman
• October 4, 2024
• No Comments

Last night, the new musical adaptation of Derek Connolly’s 2012 indie film Safety Not Guaranteed opened at the BAM Harvey Theater, officially kicking off the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s storied Next Wave Festival. Featuring music and lyrics by Ryan Miller and a book by Broadway’s Nick Blaemire, the musical stays fairly close to the narrative trajectory of the underlying film, which follows a motley group of Seattle journalists who go undercover to get the story behind a reclusive young man who claims to have built a time machine (based on a cryptic personal ad he posted).

By and large, there’s much to enjoy in this freewheeling new musical. For me, part of its endearing charm lies in its meandering quality, which may frustrate some theatergoers who prefer tighter, less adventurous fare. Invariably melodic and head-bopping, Miller’s original indie-rock songs have a way of turning in on themselves, often times ending in some emotionally surprising places (too bad about the muddy sound design, however). Although amusing and quirky, Blamire’s book is most effective in its poignant and sensitive depictions of loneliness and yearning for human connection. Admittedly, the material could use some further massaging — the latter scenes especially could use more focusing — but there’s definitely potential here for the musical to upgrade from merely great to fantastic. But as it stands, the show is already loaded with character and vitality. Ineed, I found much of Safety Not Guaranteed to be delightful in its own renegade way — and far superior to that other musical based on a time traveling film.

Director Lee Sunday Evans and her hard-working cast have leaned in on the material’s inherent quirkiness. Although Evans makes the conscious decision to go for a scrappy aesthetic — there are only a few indicative scenic elements used throughout — at times I couldn’t help the feeling that I was watching something that amounted to little more than a semi-staged concert (complete with a terrifically rollicking onstage band). Nevertheless, the staging is fluid and fast-paced, and the finale is particularly well-executed. Of the performances, Taylor Trench is nothing less than beguiling as the unhinged but soulful recluse with an obsession for time travel. It has the potential to be a star-making performance for the young actor. Nkeki Obi-Meleweke gives a hugely likeable, sympathetic portrayal of perhaps the only competent operator — despite some questionable motives — in her journalistic crew.

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SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED
Off-Broadway, Musical
BAM Harvey Theater
1 hour, 45 minutes (without an intermissions)
Through October 20