"The Bandstand" is a bold, uncompromising musical that jumps and swings with heart and energy.
In an era dominated by new musicals built on well-known commodities -- see "Wicked," "Spider Man: Turn off the Dark," and so forth -- it takes a certain amount of daring to put on an entirely original show.
So all hail the Paper Mill Playhouse, whose risky new bet pays off thrillingly. "The Bandstand" is a bold, uncompromising musical that jumps and swings with heart, energy, and a refreshing resistance to schmaltz. It refuses to shy away from its own weighty subject matter, while also delivering a rousing score of big-band swing complemented by frenetic dance numbers.
To be at once moving in the portrayal of its characters' struggles and also a great deal of fun is an impressive balancing act. This show never once loses that balance.
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The story focuses on Donny (Corey Cott, most recently of Broadway's "Gigi"), a World War II veteran returning home to Cleveland, where before the war he had made a name for himself as a musician. Smiles and well-wishes quickly dissolve, though, leaving Donny adrift: Why is everyone so eager -- in the words of the show's opening number -- to get back to "just like it was before"?
Yet Donny's frustration turns to optimism when he hears of a nationwide radio contest searching for the best original song saluting the troops. He sets out to assemble a band of ex-GIs and take the nation by storm with instant stardom.
On the surface, "The Bandstand" may seem like a romanticized story of proud boys in uniform coming home and making good, but it defies such expectations by exploring the demons haunting these soldiers. Donny manages to find five other vets in Cleveland with musical chops to join his band, but these guys haven't made peace with the horrors they witnessed during war. Drummer Johnny (Joe Carroll) was shelled in a vehicle, and now his mind is weak. Bassist Davy (Brandon J. Ellis) liberated Dachau and keeps himself perpetually drunk in order to keep the memories of the camps at bay.
And there is also Julia (Laura Osnes, a Tony nominee in 2013 for "Cinderella"), the beautiful war widow who finds no consolation in the designation "Gold Star Wife." Shortly after meeting her, Donny finds that she has pipes to match his own, and recruits her as a featured vocalist in a band that is now seven damaged and volatile souls.
All of this surprisingly nuanced psychological exploration plays out to a lively and wonderful soundtrack of original swing (music by Richard Oberacker, book and lyrics by Robert Taylor and Oberacker). The songs sound authentic to the era, but feel uniquely fresh, and they infuse "The Bandstand" with a palpable energy. (Among the first act highlights is "I Know a Guy," an exuberant and jaunty account of putting together the band.)
Director and choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler ("Hamilton," "In the Heights") does impressive work to integrate the musical numbers -- many of which feature nearly two dozen performers onstage simultaneously -- smoothly within the plot. Once the band assembles, they quickly begin to gain a huge following in Cleveland -- and we are treated to a number of sequences set at nightclubs. As the stage fills with leaping and twirling dancers, the band plays with a vigor that has its roots in the music's ability to help them process their difficult journey back into society. (The actors all play their respective instruments themselves.)
The swing-inspired dance sequences are among the best moments in "The Bandstand," now playing at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn. (Jerry Dalia) As the show's leads, Cott and Osnes are both excellent portraying characters who are struggling to mask their considerable inner-turmoil Cott's Donny is charming and talented, but often brusque with people who are close to him. (Cott also has a phenomenal singing voice -- it is obvious that a band with this guy at the center could go very far.) Osnes gives us a Julia who understands all that a war widow is supposed to say and do, but who falters in playing that part as society expects.
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Emerging at a cultural moment where people are quick to thank veterans for their service but less eager to press the issue any further, "The Bandstand" also proves unusually timely. The devastating finale, "Welcome Home," is a song that illuminates the complexities of post-traumatic stress; it's a powerful, show-stopping number that brings down the house.
Full of feverish music and dance, the energy here never flags. The company has talked about how it isn't necessarily aiming for its new shows to go on to Broadway -- as its productions of "Honeymoon in Vegas" and Newsies" have in recent years -- but "The Bandstand" clearly deserves a long afterlife.
The Bandstand
Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, through Nov. 8
Tickets: $37 - $120. Available online or by phone, (973) 376-4343
Patrick Maley may be reached at patrickjmaley@gmail.com. Find him on Twitter @PatrickJMaley. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.
