Long before streaming services, YouTube, and “American Idol”
were valid ways to launch a music career, musicians were discovered by cassette
tape demos or poorly paid gigs in smoke-filled clubs. “The Undeniable Sound of
Right Now,” which closes Blackfriars Theatre’s 2018-19 season, tells the story
of one such (fictional) club in Chicago.
The year is
1992, and Hank’s is known throughout the Windy City — and the nation — for
hosting bands like Nirvana and The Clash before they were household names. The
venue’s founder and owner Hank (Matt Ames) has lived above his club for 25
years and raised his 21-year-old daughter, Lena (Kate Armstrong), with his
ex-wife Bette (Mary Mendez Rizzo). In the wake of techno music’s rising
popularity and a wave of young DJs playing warehouse shows all over the city,
Hank’s has simply become a place of nostalgia, and with a rent increase from
second-generation landlord Joey (Dave Andreatta), the struggling club needs a
new strategy. (Followers of New York City’s CBGB, the haven for punk music in
the 1980s, will find some alignment in the storyline.)
Penned by
playwright and screenwriter Laura Eason (“Sex with Strangers,” “House of
Cards”), a Chicago-area native, “The Undeniable Sound of Right Now” captures
the bittersweet act of passing the baton and a moving father-daughter
relationship. Alexa Scott-Flaherty, who last directed the all-female ‘Twelfth
Night” at Blackfriars during the 2017-18 season, guides a cast of six, with
assistant direction from Jill Rittinger.
As soon as
audience members enter the theater, they are transported to a club circa-1980s
— complete with wood paneling, baskets of stale pretzels, and ash trays filled
with cigarette butts (a throwback to pre-indoor smoking laws). Scenic designer
Roger Budnik has constructed a full working bar opposite a stage with
instruments and mics, fully outfitted for a live performance. Before finding
their seats in the BFT auditorium, patrons can order a beer (featuring Rohrbach
Brewing Company) or glass of wine from guest bartenders and hear a short set
from a local band.
The intimate
cast radiates immediate chemistry with one another. There are many deep
dynamics at play throughout the script, from ex-lovers and infatuation to
unrequited love and familial bonds. As Hank, Ames portrays a grizzly club owner
with a tough exterior and a caring heart. Ames’s ability to translate the
character’s myriad emotional makeup anchors the show throughout, giving his
fellow cast members plenty to work with. As a daughter trying to find her identity,
Armstrong is a worthy counterpart to Ames. Her energy is infectious, and she
exudes a confidence necessary to the role. The most touching moments in the
show come from moments between Ames and Armstrong, who poignantly portray the
complex relationship between a father and daughter during the late teenage and
young adult years.
As Hank’s
ex-wife Bette, Rizzo is sass and saccharine; as Hank’s self-deprecating
employee Toby who’s hopelessly in love with Lena, Andy Head elicits many of the
laughs during the production. As DJ Nash, Laron Dewberry is charming and
forthright, and his initial tรชte-ร -tรชte with Armstrong is a sweet scene.
Andreatta rounds out the cast as conniving, ambitious Joey, a young developer
with his own interests in mind.
The technical
team at Blackfriars does an admirable job of bringing the 90s to life onstage,
from costumes by Erika Gordon to rock ‘n’ roll props by John Engel. The
two-and-a-half hour show runs with one 15-minute intermission, which gives
audience members time to visit the onstage bar again. Overall, “The Undeniable
Sound of Right Now” is a fun night out — melding a night at a dive bar, music
gig, and theater — and a fitting ending to a strong 2018-19 season at BFT.
This article appears in May 15-21, 2019.
