BWW REVIEWS: Austin Theatre Project Presents an Exciting New Musical with EDGES

It seems fitting that the young, new Austin Theatre Project should kick off their 2^nd Season with a young, new musical. The little-known song cycle Edges is the perfect choice. With its complex score, its energetic tone, and its themes about growing pains and becoming what we envision for ourselves, Edges is a captivating and engaging new work.

As a song cycle written for four twenty-somethings about growing up, coming of age, and dealing with success and failures along the way, Edges seems simple on the surface, but as soon as the show begins you realize just how difficult the show is. It's sung through, devoid of plot or dialogue, and musically challenging for the actors and the onstage band. The show grabs us and doesn't let go for two full hours, and as demanding as it is to us and to the performers, Austin Theatre Project is up to the task.

The success of this production starts with the material itself. Written in 2005 by then 19-year-old college students Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Edges seems like a prologue to the young writing team's future successes. Since their first foray into musical theatre, Pasek and Paul have won the 2006 Jonathan Larson Award, written five more shows including the recent A Christmas Story: The Musical which earned critical acclaim in its 2012 Broadway run, been featured in the documentary One Night Stand as they wrote and produced a 15 minute musical over the course of 24 hours, and wrote new songs for Smash: Season 2. Without a doubt, Pasek and Paul are prodigies with a long, prolific career ahead of them, and after seeing Edges you will understand why.

With Edges, Pasek and Paul have carefully crafted an incredibly intricate and multifaceted score, filled with rich harmonies and dissonant chords. The songs range from rollicking and exuberant anthems like the opening number "Become" and the Act II number "Ready to Be Loved" to comedic tunes like the Facebook-inspired "Be My Friend" and the love song about a gay boyfriend "Man of My Dreams" to emotionally charged ballads like the break-up tune "Dispensable" and a song about absent fathers called "One Reason." Some songs are a bit more successful than others, and Pasek and Paul's lyrics are the most memorable when they lean to the witty and cynical side, but overall their work is a triumph. While at times their music sounds like some other composers that surely have inspired them-Jason Robert Brown immediately comes to mind-Pasek and Paul's work doesn't sound derivative or unoriginal at all. These are two men who have a clear voice and point of view. There's not much that I did at 19 that I can look back at proudly, and these two talented gentlemen have this piece of work to look back on. The only major downside of their score is that it's never been professionally recorded. Ghostlight Records, I hope you're reading.

Austin Theatre Project's cast easily brings the exuberant score to life. The three person band, led by ATP's Artistic Director David Blackburn, crackles with energy, and the cast is remarkable. All four are fantastic singers, though at times they seem to strain to meet the demands of the score. Joey Banks gets to showcase his charm and humor with "Boy With Dreams," a number that gives a look into the hopes and dreams of our local pizza parlor guy, but he really displays emotional range and depth with "One Reason." Brian Losoya seems most comfortable when he gets to display earnestness and hope as he does with "Monticello" and "Part of a Painting," but the few moments where he gets to show emotional depth work as well. Still, the two actresses slightly eclipse the two actors, in part because Pasek and Paul's material gives them some of the best numbers. While her baby-faced youth is distracting at times (is she even a twenty-something yet?) Taylor Moessinger proves to be a solid performer. Her rendition of "Perfect" is heartbreaking, and her performance in "Man of My Dreams" is hysterical. Sara Burke, though, is the true scene stealer. You can't take your eyes off her, especially in her comedic numbers. There's something almost Kristin Chenoweth-like about her brand of cutesy comedy, and it's absolutely infectious.

As fascinating and attention-grabbing as the score and performers are, there still are a few rough edges in Edges. While the songs are great, some of the characters created in the few short minutes of a song are so captivating that you feel they deserve a full show and plot. There's certainly more that could be said about some of these people and situations. Also, some of the songs come out of nowhere. We start with a tune about four people who are puzzled by how they will become their ideal selves, then we get a slew of songs about how tough life and relationships are for twenty-somethings, and then we end with two songs about how these people are now ready for love and are done with coasting through life and relationships. While the journey is often the most interesting part of a story, that journey is missing here. In addition, Barbara Schuler's direction and Tony Love's lighting design occasionally lacks the energy and liveliness of the music and performances.

Overall though, Edges is a successful and engaging evening of entertainment and a thrilling opener to Austin Theatre Project's season. Any theater lover who enjoys discovering new talent and new voices needs to see this show.

NOTE: Edges is recommended for mature audiences.

EDGES, produced by the Austin Theatre Project, plays the Dougherty Arts Center in Austin, TX now thru March 10^th. Performances are March 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9 at 7:30pm and March 3 and 10 at 3pm. Tickets are $25 general, $20 students and seniors, and $30 premium seats. For more information, please visit http://www.austintheatreproject.org