THE HANGOVER REPORT – The immersive new gay-themed musical LITTLE HOUSE ON THE FERRY delivers breezy entertainment

Andrew Leggieri, Charles Osborne, and Gilberto Saenz in “Little House on the Ferry” at Ferry’s Landing at The Duplex (photo by Austin Ruffer).

Last night, Robert Gould’s new gay-themed musical Little House on the Ferry officially re-opened The Duplex’s upstairs cabaret space — now rebranded as “Ferry’s Landing” — which has been shuttered since an unfortunate fire incident in 2022. Set back during the summer of 2011, the musical tells the story of the escapades of a group of gay men on a Fire Island Pines holiday. Taking place against the backdrop of the impending adoption of the New York Marriage Equality Act, the show finds its denizens on the cusp of possibility and positive change (remember that?).

That sense of hope and optimism is what propels Little House on the Ferry, which frankly has little on its silly little mind apart from providing breezy, fun entertainment and a dash of some lightweight sermonizing. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — not every queer musical needs to be a Fun Home; I’d like to think that there’s room for both types of theatrical specimens. Gould’s book is efficiently plotted and designed to maximize amusing if obvious gay humor (campy, catty, melodramatic) to the point of being cartoonish, which jives with the sprightly, very catchy songs by Gould and Rob Arbelo (alas, the orchestrations are largely pre-recorded). It’s not surprising, therefore, that the musical’s characters register little more than caricatures and gay archetypes. Indeed, at times I found the musical’s nameless but fabulous chorus of three women to be more compelling than some of the primary characters.

The infectious production by director Victoria Rae Sook takes full advantage of the intimate environs of Ferry’s Landing, smartly opting for an immersive staging that quite literally puts the audience in the midst of the action (drinks are available for purchase during the show). Although resources are limited, Sook’s staging is confident and fast-moving, all the while treating scrappiness as a virtue. Across the board, the cast (capably led by Charles Osborne as an anxious gay man who finds himself at a fork in the road) give animated and at times heartfelt performances that channel the joy and celebratory vibe of the production at large.

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LITTLE HOUSE ON THE FERRY
Off-Broadway, Musical
Ferry’s Landing NYC at The Duplex
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Booking through November 30

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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