Mark Evans (Cal Chandler) and the cast of The Fix at Signature Theatre. Photo: Christopher Mueller.
By DCist Contributor Missy Frederick
Mounting a play with teleprompter humor in it? D.C.’s the place to do it.
Signature Theatre has a built-in target audience with The Fix, a political musical about the rise and fall of an unseasoned political candidate. From the moment viewers get a glimpse of designer Misha Kachman’s imposing and impressive set, a White House-like backdrop bordered by television screens, it’s clear that this work will be mining familiar territory.
Said territory: a would-be president about to enter office (Bobby Smith) ends up dead in the arms of an adulteress. His scheming Lady Macbeth-esque wife (Christine Sherrill) — the Shakespearean comparison is spelled out in the show’s not-so-subtle lyrics — sets her sights on her layabout son to replace his dead father in the realm of politics. The candidate (Mark Evans) is reluctant but ultimately game, though his attitude towards his newfound role wavers—rather inconsistently—as the show progresses.
The Fix, though not a particularly well-known musical, has history behind it. It was first mounted in London; Signature was the first American theater to take it on back in 1998. Writers John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe have collaborated with director Eric Shaeffer to revise and update the work. (The specific updates made to the work weren’t immediately apparent; The Fix feels more timeless than a specific nod to today’s politics.) The Fix can be very funny, though it struggles to find a tone between tongue-in-cheek and serious story. The first act is briskly paced; the second act proceeds as a series of soliloquy songs, some more captivating than others. The characters are broad and the scenarios are over-the-top —expect face-offs with mobster caricatures and overused royalty metaphors.
Despite the flaws of the show itself, Signature’s cast and creative team work in overdrive to ensure The Fix still provides an entertaining night of theater. The production highlights its hardworking and versatile chorus, whose strong vocals and dance skills elevate even its weaker musical numbers, such as “Dangerous Games” (punchy choreography helps things, too). The Fix’s score is marked by saxophone-heavy orchestrations and some standout numbers, like the melancholy torch song “Lonely is a Two Way Street” and the rousing “Ballad of Bobby ‘The Cracker’ Barrel.”
The Fix is also rich with scene-stealing supporting performances, whether they’re from Tracy Lynn Olivera’s chain-smoking vocal coach or Will Gartshore’s redneck convict who has a history with Sherrill’s Violet Chandler. The cast of The Fix is unassailable, including Smith as the gleeful, tap-dancing ghost of Senator Reed Chandler; he pairs with Lawrence Redmond (who plays his polio-stricken brother and political consultant) in the vaudevillian second-act opener “Two Guys at Harvard.”
Sherrill finds the right mix of hauteur and vulnerability for her scheming character, while Evans has the handsome looks and charm of a stereotypical politician (not to mention some stellar dance moves).
The Fix may struggle to be a fully-realized musical, but Signature doesn’t seem to be struggling to mount a slick and satisfying production of it.
The Fix runs through Sept. 20 at Signature Theatre. Tickets ($40 and up) are available online.
