The bad news for Trump is that Obama now has a musical dedicated to his time in the White House. It’s aptly called “44: The Musical,” and opened Thursday at the Daryl Roth Theatre. The good news for 45 and 47 is that the show is “awful,” as in the original definition of the word, which is “full of awe.”
Aficionados of stage musicals love awful shows more than great shows. The so-bad-they’re-good kind of musical may not be easy to sit through, but it’s a lot more fun to talk about afterward than, say, “Hamilton” or “Sweeney Todd.”
Where to begin with “44: The Musical”?
There is Sarah Palin (Chelsea Morgan Stock) doing a pole dance to “Drill Me Baby.” Lindsay Graham (Jeff Sumner) files his nails, carries a lace parasol and spouts Dan Savage’s definition of (Rick) Santorum: lube + fecal material. The architect of 9/11 doesn’t get off so easy. He’s the subject of a rollicking comedy number titled “We Got Bin Laden.”
But best of all is Michelle Obama (Shanice). In this musical, she resembles not the former first lady but rather a very bossy Oprah Winfrey. In a head-scratching second act, she’s the one who must force Obama to run for a second term. Shanice also gets to seduce the new president by performing a bump-and-grind number titled “White House Love.”
Playing Barack Obama, T.J. Wilkins somehow manages to keep his dignity through it all. His performance of “How Black Is Too Black?” actually dazzles both vocally and comically. As choreographed by Miss James Alsop, Wilkins’ dance moves alternate seamlessly between those of a son of a white woman from Kansas and those of a son of a Black man from Kenya.
Another genuine bright spot is Chad Doreck’s Joe Biden, who narrates with gifted cluelessness.
Eli Bauman may set a record for musical theater credits. He’s the director, lead producer, book writer, lyricist and composer of “44: The Musical.” He should keep his composer job. Some of the R&B songs sound like vintage Motown.
