SHINING IN MISERY: A KING-SIZE PARODY in NYC: A Review

In the very first opening number of Shining in Misery: A King-Size Parody, which enjoyed a one-night-only performance at New York City’s famous venue 54 Below on Wednesday, May 8, I had already envisioned a new drinking game: Take a shot of something (Perhaps a gin martini, in homage to Jack Torrance…) for every reference to Stephen King’s vast canon, starting with “Miss Desjardin”, to meeting Danny Torrance, to a 1958 red and white Plymouth Fury, and MANY more… But it soon became apparent that any King fan would suffer from alcohol poisoning before the hooky finale of the bombastic first song, A Greener Mile.  The audience that night, which ranged from garden variety theater lovers to Stephen King megafans, clearly appreciated the seemingly infinite number of Kingly references– some of which were SOOOO subtle that only the hardest of hardcore “Richard Bachman” fans would pick them up.  Shining in Misery, featuring music by Andrew Abrams, lyrics/book by Mark-Eugene Garcia, and book by Colleen Duvall, also fulfills some long-gestating “Constant Reader” fantasies. 

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If you ever thought that our own Danny Torrance should have gotten his own splashy musical number, you’ll get your chance with Squint Through the Shining, where Danny teams up with his spiritual soulmate, Richard Hallorann (Jason Williams, who returns later for, ahem… Back to Dick).  Benji Heying, clearly an adult, plays Danny, and he eerily and expertly channels the troubled tyke, complete with that look on Danny’s face like he’s in constant fear of pissing his pants. Many King fans have fallen down the rabbit hole of “The Wendy Theory” of The Shining movie (which this parody coyly pays homage too in just a few words…)– but get ready for “The Tony Theory”, a new exploration of Danny’s legendary imaginary friend. Later on, as if things couldn’t get even more over-the-top, there’s not just a reference to The Shawshank Redemption, but an entire song dedicated to the character of Andy Dufresne (played by Alex Gossard)– named, unambiguously, Andy Dufresne! It must be heard to be believed.  Even Cujo the dog is briefly featured in the play, voiced “doggy style” by Sierra Rein.

To state the obvious, Shining in Misery is VERY funny– enough to make the audience piss their pants in sympathy with Danny Torrance. Out of the seemingly infinite body count in all of Mr. King’s books and inevitable movie adaptions, were there ever any “deaths by laughter”? (Contact me at [email protected] if you know of any…)  Shining in Misery, featuring a large and super-talented cast, may very well be the first.  One example of many is when Annie Wilkes (Gail Becker) gets to tell her musicalized backstory on how she became the “number one number one fan” in pop culture villainy.  The song, named (drumroll please….) Number One Fan, is a banger… and it gives the character a chance to rhyme “between us” and “penis”.  Jack Torrance, Annie Wilkes, Barlow the vampire, and Pennywise the clown all in the same play?  What if they (gasp!) combine forces?  The cast and crew clearly wanted to channel Stephen King himself in a trailer for the 1986 movie Maximum Overdrive (Which, ironically, is one of the only King works NOT referenced in the play…): “I’m gonna scare the HELL outta you!” But, as the cast reminds us halfway through the piece with yet another showstopper, there’s Nothing to Fear but fear alone! 
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This may be a good time to point out that despite all the loving lunacy in Shining in Misery, the cast are all supremely talented singers.  As Wendy Torrance, Sarah Mackenzie Baron can REALLY hit those high notes, as evidenced by Different Seasons.  It’s a quirky and beautiful song, and also the first time I’ve EVER heard the words “ass to mouth” in a musical.  (You have to love Mark-Eugene Garcia’s deliciously dirty lyrics, which reach a crescendo later on in the show with [It’s a] Cornstock Life.  It’s EXACTLY as outrageous as it sounds…)  “Wendy”‘s literary counterpart, Jack Torrance, is played by Jonathan Wagner.  Like Ms. Baron, Wagner has a stunner of a voice.  Writing on His Mind (“I’m WRITING here!”) is a showstopper, bordering on rock opera territory.  Whether singing or speaking, Baron and Wagner perfectly mimic the famously distinctive voices of “Wendy” and “Jack” from The Shining movie. (Of course, we’re talking about Shelley Duvall and Jack Nicholson respectively.)   Another highlight comes with Sarah Mackenzie Baron-as-Wendy’s The Stand.  Campy references aside, the song becomes a rock anthem of female empowerment, akin to Defying Gravity. That said, all the cast members had their chance to show their vocal prowess. As both Barlow the vampire and Paul Sheldon from Misery, Cody Gerszewski gets to steal the show by singing in two distinctly different accents. 

Directed and choreographed by Donald Garverick and featuring musical direction/orchestration by Evan Lange, Shining in Misery is unyieldingly smart and clever, showing great respect for Mr. King and his gargantuan body of work.  The hardworking cast was clearly having a great time. Many played multiple roles, and they succeeded in their transitions without the benefit of costume changes and despite the limits of a small stage.  And, of course, there’s the humor, which kicks off from the opening dialogue and continues right on through to the rad as Hell and oh-so-meta finale.  Let’s hope that Mr. King’s… uhm, “unique” sense of humor (Needful Things, anyone?) would be tickled by this grand theater piece.  And let’s hope that, like a few lucky pets in one of King’s most iconic novels, Shining in Misery comes back again and again.  Until then, Carrie on, folks…