By Sandi Masori
SAN DIEGO — Every so often you see a play that surprises you. Its world premiere is a gem. The Heart at La Jolla Playhouse is just that type of show.
You might say “how on earth are they going to do a musical about organ donation and make it entertaining?” But they did that and more. And once you know that it’s by the same director as another surprising musical, Come From Away (Christopher Ashley,) it doesn’t seem that far-fetched.
Within the first 10 minutes of the play 19-year-old Simon Lamar (played by Zachery Noah Piser, whose bio says he’s of mixed Jewish ancestry) goes surfing, takes on too much water, gets into a car crash, and is “brain dead” on arrival. Every parent’s nightmare. What happens next is the following 24 hours in the process of organ donation.
Since Simon wasn’t a designated organ donor the parents (Kenita Miller and Jason Tam) must make the difficult decision on whether or not to donate. They must be convinced to do it quickly because the faster the organs can be harvested after brain-death, the more likely the transplant will be successful.
Once the parents agree to the donation, the clock really speeds up. The donation registry is notified and they find all the possible matches for each organ. The doctors responsible for the potential recipients must drop everything and rush to the hospital. To illustrate the chaos they showed doctors being pulled from different personal activities including one who was pulled from his son’s Bar Mitzvah. A hard call, but saving life comes first. Then the recipients must be notified and get themselves down to the hospital as well. Once the organs are removed they are rushed to the various hospitals to be placed in the lucky patients.
The plot summary doesn’t do justice to the experience of watching the show though. First of all the electronic soundtrack by Anne and Ian Eisendrath (and very skillfully delivered by music director and conductor Wendy Bobbitt Cavett) keeps the entire audience’s hearts in sync, something I just learned is called “entrainment.” The music is upbeat, even when the moment is tense and really holds you throughout.
The singing is amazing. The actors are all seasoned veterans of Broadway and tv, and it shows. They all play multiple parts and are phenomenal. Many of the actors we’ve seen locally before, like Kenita Miller (Come From Away), Bre Jackson (Six), Lincoln Clauss (Cabaret), Zachery Noah Pisner (Redwood), Heidi Blickenstaff (Come From Away), and Jason Tam (Come From Away). I need to say it again, the singing and dancing are incredible. Broadway level all the way.
The set is very open and modern, using an LED screen that runs the entire length of the stage, neon lights, and projections. Tables and chairs are moved on and off from the visible sides of the stage to become the hospital beds, or a surfboard, or a DJ station. The lights, projections and music really carry it.
The timing, the staging and the blocking are all perfectly done to keep you on the edge of your seat, completely invested in what’s happening. You are taken on a roller coaster of an emotional journey, and there are a few points where I really doubt there was a dry eye in the house.
We left the theater really thinking about the sanctity of life and the importance of organ donation. I would be very surprised if anyone could see the show and not feel affected, and yet, it also feels somewhat joyous and optimistic in the end. A difficult balancing act that is flawlessly executed in this gripping production.
The play, which I predict is Broadway bound, has been extended twice and will show through October 5.
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Associate Editor Sandi Masori covers theater and restaurants.