Even with strong talent on and off-stage, ‘Shout!’ is not much to shout about

It was called a “stale bag of candy” in a New York Times review of its 2006 off-Broadway run. And this research only came to light following an opening night at Metropolis that, despite some terrific talent, left this reviewer wondering why any artistic director today would choose to stage Shout! The Mod Musical.

The comedy lands more cringey than funny. The premise and characters are more cliché than insightful, and these are played straight, no parody. The mostly 1960s jukebox songbook is fair, not great.

In all, as a musical, Shout!, you know you want to make me say, “Meh.”

Created by Phillip George and David Lowenstein, Shout! is set in London, spanning the early 1960s to 1970, and first appeared at a 2000 workshop. Its loose plot follows five color-coded, generic women—Red Girl (in her 20s), Green Girl, Blue Girl and Yellow Girl (in their 30s) and Orange Girl (in her 40s)—who work through their lives via by writing letters to Shout! magazine’s advice columnist, receiving antiquated advice, then breaking into song.

Yellow Girl is a strange Paul McCartney stalker. Orange Girl comes to suspect her husband is cheating. Blue Girl is self-centered, wealthy and comes to question her sexuality. Green Girl is the sexually-charged, throw-caution-to-the-wind character. And Red Girl is simply doe-eyed and hopeful.

Recognizable songs of the era include “Don’t Sleep in the Subway,” “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” “To Sir, With Love,” “Downtown,” “Goldfinger” and others. Recognizable, solid-enough tunes, but…

If there’s good news for patrons—and there is—it’s that the team putting on this fair-at-best title elevate this particular production to its best possible staging. The five talented performers work hard, and the entire, extensive songbook is well sung. Tight harmonies and well-executed choreography bring moments of joy. So kudos first to Director Madison Smith and Choreographer Jenilee Houghton for their fine work here. Also, the music from an on-stage quintet led by Music Director Kenneth McMullen is first rate. So, too, is the mod, colorful, multi-tiered unit set from Rachel Seabaugh.

To be fair, this entire cast moves and sings well, doing the absolute best with the material they’re given. This reviewer’s highlights come from Green Girl Ashlyn Seehafer, a natural actor with a truly lovely voice that deserves a place on many Chicagoland stages. And on opening night, understudy Marcela Ferrarone stepped into the role of Red Girl without missing a note or a step. This recent Pepperdine University graduate making her professional theatrical debut is a dynamo who will be heard from again.

All of this is good for new Metropolis’ Artistic Director Bob Gretta, the Nebraska transplant who’s just stepping into his leadership role here and, in fairness, inherited this uninspired title choice. With a gorgeous venue in the heart of a vibrant northwest suburb and a quality professional team around him, ChicagolandMusicalTheatre.com looks forward to Metropolis’ bright future under Gretta’s stewardship.

“Shout! The Mod Musical” performs though June 11 at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W Campbell Street, Arlington Heights. For tickets or more information, please click here.