‘Hard body’ is easy listening, hard watching

By Carol Davis

Carol Davis

LA JOLLA, California —Reality T.V. has never made it to the top ten of my favorite things to watch. However, I do like watching documentaries, especially when I find them informative and offer a new outlook on an old subject that I may or may not have already have formed an opinion. Hands on a Hardbody a musical, now making its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse isn’t the first and won’t be the last theatre piece to have been based on a documentary, current events, the state of our union or an interesting newspaper article.

I am reminded of another world premiere last year at The La Jolla Playhouse, Milk Like Sugar, by Kristen Greenidge that was based on a newspaper article she had read about teenaged pregnancy so prevalent in the black community. Now Hands on a Hardbody by S.R. Bindler takes us back to his 1997 documentary film about a pick up truck, an endurance contest and a dream. Credit Playwright Doug Wright, (I Am My Own Wife) who began the project after he saw the documentary around which the musical book is based.

This odd ball of a musical takes place at The Floyd King Nissan auto dealership (Christine Jones) in Longview, Texas. Here a Blue Nissan pickup truck, (not just your every day version but a 16 valve, four cylinder engine) will go to the last man or woman standing who can continue to remain on his or her feet for six hours at a time with one fifteen minute break all the while keeping at least one hand on the vehicle for as long as it takes to eliminate all the others. Ten contestants were chosen ‘randomly’ by the dealership.  They are not friends, or acquaintances but will know more about each other than they may need to before only one is left standing.

Friendships form, a romance develops, frustration sets in but nothing really happens in this original piece of work. Once in a while the contestants are freed from their shackles of the hardbody and they can move semi freely about. In one scene Rua lets loose with a fine bit of dancing.

The contestants, ten in all ranging in ages from 20 to 65, are in one way or another hoping to get the keys to ‘the American Dream’ by winning this contest for as many reasons as there are hands touching the truck. All are rather down and out and broke and for a variety of reasons.

There is JD Crew (Keith Carradine), a disabled oilrig worker who wants to get away from his wife, Virginia (the wonderful full-voiced Mary Gordon Murray in “Alone With Me”).  Benny Perkins (Hunter Foster) is the cynic who won the contest last year and is ready to offer advice to anyone willing on how not to let your legs cramp. He opens and closes the show. (“It’s a Human Drama Thing”)

Chris Alvaro (David Larson) is an Iraq war vet whose emotional “Stronger” is a keeper. Jay Armstrong Johnson and Allison Case are the love interest couple Greg and Kelli, (“I’m Gone”). Dale Soules is Janis Curtis, mother of six who seems like the class monitor outing anyone whose hands seem to leave the truck (“It’s A Fix”) and John Rua as Jesus whose Somewhere premiered at The Old Globe last year is the token Hispanic male who seems to have to prove his citizenship (“Born In Laredo”) to the dealership’s PR gal, Cindy Barnes (Connie Ray).

Kaela Settle is a bigger than life presence as Norma the Born Again contestant who is convinced that God is on her side (“The Lord shows me strength I didn’t know I had”). Her “Joy of the Lord” gospel toned work is a work of art. Jacob Ming Trent is the chocoholic with a penchant for Snickers Bars with a voice to die for as well. All the stories as are the characters are interesting to a point but there is no place for them to go from there.

Director Neil Pepe along with Amanda Green’s lyrics and Trey Anastasio & Amanda Green’s music allows each character a chance to define and inform us about him or herself. Keith Carradine’s two beautiful numbers impressed yours truly as did Scott Wakefield’s Frank, the radio announcer, whose country western, guitar playing entertained the audience right after intermission.

The musical score, a combination of R&B, country, Gospel, blues and folk are all entertaining especially with musical director/Conductor Zachary Dietz and his six-member band, which can be seen at times in the background. There is some serious knee slapping’ toe tapping’ action going on here.

But being tied to a truck for that long a time (the documentary took 90 minutes) makes for a rather static situation and if moving the Nissan around (it’s on casters) on the stage is any indication of what, if any, action looks like consider yourself in for a long two and a half hour stint until the last man/woman standing can finally rest his/her weary bones.

If you want something, “Keep Your Hands on It” is the final number. And so it is written. But getting there in this setup needs to be scaled back with fewer musical numbers (yes some can be eliminated), and less hokey pokey and a little more excitement especially in the  finale. We get the idea and it’s not such a bad one, it’s just not that interesting after all.

No question that Hands on a Hardbody has talent to spare with credits from here to Broadway and back again with possible and plausible hopes for a future elsewhere, but this reviewer found it difficult to wrap her arms around it.

See you at the theatre.

Dates: Through June 17th

Organization: La Jolla Playhouse

Phone: 858-550-1010

Production Type: Musical

Where: 2910La Jolla Village Drive,

Ticket Prices: Start at $38.00

Web: lajollaplayhouse.org

Venue: Mandell Weiss Theatre

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Davis is a San Diego-based theatre critic. She may be contacted at carol.davis@sdjewishworld.com