Arena's Striking 12: Grumpiness with a Side of Optimism
Photo by Joan Marcus, courtesy Arena Stage.
The story is set on New Year's Eve, with the main character trying in earnest to avoid all celebrations, choosing to work late, dodge invites, and plan to be in bed by 11. While the character moves from fixing the copier at the office to his comfortable couch at home, he shares his thoughts on the pressures of New Year's Eve: black tie invites, the depressing small talk at parties ("How's that new boss working out? Did you mean to cc me on that email you sent out with your résumé attached?"), and being told to avoid a particular party by your ex-fiance.
While the first half of the show is full of delightfully cynical wit, the second half veers slightly into sermon territory with a retelling of the story of the Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen. This fairly cynical writer found herself smiling wider and laughing louder during the grumpy parts, but other not-so-cynical theatergoers seemed to equally appreciate the uplifting message in the latter half.
Striking 12 is performed by pop-rock band GrooveLily, who teamed up with Tony Award-winning author Rachel Sheinkin to write the production. Electric violinist Valerie Vigoda heads the band, accompanied by drummer Gene Lewin and keyboardist Brendan Milburn. Milburn takes on the role of the grumpy guy, while the other two bounce between characters, with Lewin even begrudgingly playing a grandmother for a hot second. The between-song dialogue successfully moves the story along, so the production seems less like a concert with an underlying theme and more like a musical with a full-fledged plot. While it's a difficult line to straddle, Striking 12 does it convincingly, with each song serving a purpose in the story-telling.
Striking 12 is playing at Arena Stage's Crystal City location through December 13, with evening shows Thursday through Sunday, as well as two matinees on Saturday. Tickets are available online.