The Fourth Walsh

Court Theatre presents the new musical, OUT HERE.

Dawn, Brian and Cleo live in their family house. They eat at the dining room table. They work in separate rooms. They help Cleo with homework. The daily tune is the same until the melody changes. At first, it’s just a few notes that are different. Eventually, it’s an entire song about divorce. The family must find the courage to move from their routine inside to the unknown ‘out here.’ OUT HERE explores love and family at every level in front of an audience.

The creative team of Leslie Buxbaum (book and lyrics), David J. Levin, and Erin McKeown (music and lyrics) conceived this quirky, uplifting musical. As the family navigates this upsetting rift in their lives, they also become aware of a band in their house and a theatre audience in their yard. The characters ‘sing’ their feelings to each other. They ask for a musical tone to match their emotion of the moment. They appear to compose their life and a song in real time. One of the band members, the always charismatic Alex Goodrich, volunteers his support at first as a mediator and later as best friend. It’s funny and weird and sweet. Describing this unique show is challenging because it’s an original. Buxbaum, Levin, and McKeown don’t just blur the lines between musical theater, performance art and real life, they produce a completely different genre.    

Director Chay Yew orchestrates life happenings with authentic emotion and comedic precision. Yew’s ensemble provide distinction and personality at every angle.The highly spirited Ellie Duffey (Cleo) greets the audience with smiles and waves. Later, she has a teenage meltdown looking for her math book. Initially, Cliff Chamberlain (Brian) is distraught over the marital news. After a few beats, Chamberlain is amped up to date. A confident Bethany Thomas (Robin) refuses to be banished to the neighbor’s yard so she intentionally slow walks to the green room. The delightful Amanda Pulcini (Gina) seems credibly surprised to be chosen out of the audience. Adding to the spontaneity of the moment, Pulcini is sitting next to a woman who looks like she could be her mom. And Z Mowry quietly strolls into the story to deliver dry one-liners.

A rattled Becca Ayers (Dawn) disrupts the family’s familiar melody. After trying a new and different refrain, Ayers desperately tries to return home. In a searing solo, Ayers moves the rafters… literally. In duets with Ayers and individually, Thomas has velvet strength in her voice. Her singing is equally powerful and beautiful. This is a musical. Since it’s a wacky one, it busts out all the instruments from harmonica to saw to acoustic hand-clapping. An amusing Goodrich leads a rhythmically complex and hysterical plan for joint custody. And nod out to Duffey for her spunky, hair-swirling, rock-crushing spotlight. Although some of the singing doesn’t quite hit the mark tonally, this terrific ensemble bring interesting depth to the show’s overall harmony.   

OUT HERE is noteworthy. The innovation is so clever. Its originality makes it unforgettable.

Running Time: One hundred minutes with no intermission

At Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue

Concept by Leslie Buxbaum, David J. Levin, Erin McKeown

Book and lyrics by Leslie Buxbaum

Music and lyrics by Erin McKeown

Directed by Chay Yew

Orchestrations by Erin McKeown and Christie Chiles Twillie

Music supervision by Christie Chiles Twillie

Performances are:

Wednesdays,Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays at 7:30pm

Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm

Thru May 10

For more information or tickets

Production photos by Michael Brosilow

For more Chicago theatre information and reviews, please visit Theatre in Chicago