The penultimate production of Blackfriars
Theatre’s 2016-17 season is an interesting one. “Hands on a Hardbody”
is a 2012 musical co-written by Trey Anastasio of
Phish and Amanda Green. Any traces of Anastasio’s
killer guitar chops and jam band intuition have vanished, and in their place is
a collection of enjoyable but predominantly generic pop-rock songs with an
impact that’s decidedly fleeting.
Based on a 1997 documentary of the same name, “Hands on a Hardbody” — suggestive title notwithstanding — is about an
endurance contest in which 10 hopeful entrants from Longview, Texas, compete to
be the last person standing with their hand on the prize: a new pickup truck.
It is both a metaphoric symbol and tangible evidence of the “American dream”
realized.
Each person sets out with a compelling combination of
gumption and desperation: the religiously devout Norma Valverde
is trying to overcome poverty for the sake of her family; Jesus Peรฑa wants to
sell the truck to pay for veterinary school; the upbeat if overly talkative
Ronald McCowan plans to kickstart
what would eventually become a family business; Heather Stovall sees the truck
as the ticket to her independence; and former Marine Chris Alvaro is initially
silent about his reasons. The pursuit of the truck soon reveals the
contestants’ motivations and, in several cases, their restless frustrations,
internal conflicts, and personal demons.
Co-directed by Mary Tiballi Hoffman
and Blackfriars Artistic and Managing Director Danny
Hoskins, the most impressive aspect of this production was the high energy and
dramatic commitment of the ensemble cast. The authenticity of each character
was unmatched by any recent theater event I’ve seen in Rochester. So it’s no
surprise that the most powerful moments in the show came during the ensemble
numbers, when the actors joined forces to voice their collective desire for
success, as in “If I Had This Truck,” or when they spontaneously bonded during
“Joy of the Lord.”
There isn’t a weak singer in the cast, although Yvana Melendez as Norma stole the show with a powerful,
soulful instrument. Other highlights included the emotionally gripping
“Stronger,” sung by Colin Pazik as Chris, and “Born
in Laredo,” an impassioned look at Jesus’s struggle for acceptance as a Hispanic
American, delivered by Raul Torres.
“Hands on a Hardbody” is often a
fun trip, but it also delivers serious messages on pertinent topics like war,
immigration, public assistance, and corporate sprawl. These are all laudable
themes, but as Act Two wore on, the tone grew increasingly preachy. Perhaps as
a natural response, the acting became somewhat histrionic. A lighter touch that
was less over-the-top would have made for a more poignant story.
And for all the intense build-up, Anastasio,
Green, and playwright Doug Wright resolves the conflicts all too easily by the
end, like a 30-minute sitcom might. Yet, clocking in at over two and a half
hours, the show is long. Act One was wonderfully bittersweet and nuanced, while
Act Two featured a sugar-coated ending that was inconsistent with the
complexities of the characters and the obstacles they faced. Worst of all was
the inartfully written closing number “Keep Your
Hands on It,” in which J.D. Drew (played by Ken Harrington) offensively
compares his devoted wife to the truck. By the end, what might have been a
different, more thoughtful kind of musical felt like a cheesy church drama.
Still, poor plot resolution and an unfortunate analogy
notwithstanding, this production of “Hands on a Hardbody”
is worth seeing for the strength of its excellent (if at times overzealous) cast.
This article appears in Mar 22-28, 2017.
