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Home - Theater
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Brick by Brick
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Skullduggery opens world premiere in plush new space
by Warren Francke
Brick: The A Capella Musical brings a world premiere SkullDuggery show to a new downtown venue. And the fact that Andrew McGreevy’s latest creation features the compositions of Ben Folds makes the music new to Omaha theater as well.
Fans of Ben Folds Five will know that “Brick” was one of their biggest hits in the U.S. and abroad. And that may tell them more than McGreevy wants known about his storyline, so suffice it to say that the lead character in his musical is named Ben, who informs his new girlfriend about a previous one he got pregnant.
Like any true fan, McGreevy considers Folds “a true artist, unlike many musicians these days.” And a generous one to his fans. “When Napster was first out and Metallica was crying law suits, Ben posted on his webpage, ‘Steal my Sh*t.’”
If you’re not a Folds fan, get acquainted. The percussionist was kicked out of music school when he showed up for a crucial audition with a hand busted in defending his buddy from bullies. When the school pulled his scholarship, he tossed his drum kit in a lake.
Initially during preparation for the July 8 opening, McGreevy declined to synopsize his story, simply promising, “the music is an awe-inspiring feast.”
Aided by musical director Laureen Pickle (plus “guest” musical directors Patrick Ribar and Kevin Smith), McGreevy presents a cast including Pickle with Eric Grant-Leanna as Ben, plus Jen Martinez (Annie) and Queno Martinez (Spencer) in the three lead roles.
Others who’ve appeared earlier for SkullDuggery and other Omaha companies include Liz Webb, Joe Blackstad, Trish Lilyhorn, Emily Jane Thompson, Zach Cook, Sasha Olson, Eric Salonis, Brendan JD Reilly, Kathryn Walsh, LeAnn Tipler, Steve Hartman, Samantha Brown, Logan Vamosi and Joe Mokrycki.
Other than a sneak preview for critics and a few friends, the 8 p.m. Thursday opening will mark the first performance at 222 S. 19th St. on the ground level. The move from third floor to first has McGreevy pumped about “plush theater seats” in a “completely upgraded” space with its own bathrooms and box office plus off-street access, a change with special appeal to elevator-phobes.
If that address doesn’t ring a bell, it’s just west of the Civic Center and catty-cornered across the street from the long-ago location of the Upstairs Dinner Theatre. Anyone who counted those 18 cast members and who took the elevator ride to earlier shows can tell you the cast of Brick would barely fit in the previous space, much less leave room for an audience.
McGreevy overcame his earlier reluctance and offered an overview of Act One. He’s not saying that his Ben is necessarily Ben Folds, but describes the character as a guy “who has breezed through his life without staying committed to much — lost many jobs, quit bands, dropped out of school, etc.”
Ben takes a road trip and decides to check out the town of Effington, where he meets “a variety of lively folk.” There’s a football coach convinced that his sport keeps teens out of trouble, but he “emotionally neglects” his wife who happens to be the town’s sheriff.
Ben meets Bailey and Chloe, a female couple running the town restaurant. They’re excited over adopting a baby boy. Add a quirky couple, musician Zak and psychic Sara; a clergyman who is a town leader and a mysterious man named Fred who “sits quietly on the town bench and doesn’t say a word.”
Ben becomes involved in a love triangle that includes Annie, a girl-next-door type who tends bar, and Spencer, a war hero turned mechanic. It begins to sound more like the hit song “Brick” when we learn of Ben driving the former girlfriend, pregnant Emaline, to a women’s clinic.
Brick: The A Capella Musical runs July 8-31, Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m. and Sun. 6 p.m., at the SkullDuggery Theatre, 222 S. 19th St., in downtown Omaha. Tickets are $20. Call 317.7893 for reservations.
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