Merely Players drives an American reality into fantasy
BY JUDITH REYNOLDS
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD
The central character in the American musical “Hands on a Hardbody” happens to be a truck. For its 2013 Broadway debut, it was a 1995 Nissan. Locally, the role has been given to a big, blue 2001 Mazda. It is featured in the current Merely Players production. “Thespis,” the company’s work-vehicle, even gets a bio in the program. And thanks to Director Dallas Padoven, Production Manager Mona Wood-Patterson and the Players, the old truck turns in a winning performance.
Who else could put a pickup on stage, mount it on casters and choreograph its movements with a 15-member cast? The Players touch, spin, rotate, lean on, admire and play with the truck in this tuneful, fast-paced, often funny and sometimes sad theater piece that’s truly memorable.
See PLAYERS, 2B
Merely Players’ “Hands on a Hardbody” features, counterclockwise around truck: Sharina Ramsey-Adams as Norma, Luca Sandoval-McCalllum as Jesus, Jeannie Wheeldon as Janis, Braden Helfrich as Chris, Melissa Mossinghoff as Heather, Conor Sheehan as Greg and Hallie Denman as Kelli.
Courtesy of Kara Cavalca
Continued from 1B
Based on a real 1992 sales gimmick at a Texas car dealership, the story took hold after a 1997 documentary film catapulted it into the cloud known as the American dream. An endurance contest attracted locals hoping to win a Nissan Hardbody Truck. The test: stand as long as possible with at least one hand touching the truck until all but one person drops out. Surprisingly, the contest persisted for 13 years, promoted annually by human folly, the dealership and KYKX Radio. A trio of creatives turned the story into a musical for Broadway, and now it’s playing around the country as a cult classic.
“Hardbody” is a lot like “A Chorus Line,” the 1975 musical that broke ground as an ensemble piece with multiple story lines. The form’s deep history also hearkens back to medieval masters like Boccaccio and/ or Chaucer. A frame or narrator sets in motion individual stories. “Hardbody” narrator, Benny Perkins (a snarly but engaging Zachary Chiero), introduces the frame in the opening song: “Human Drama Kind of Thing.” One by one, individual contestants enter along with characters from the subplot, the dealership employees (a winning Gyana Bandy Gomar and always-smarmy Geoff Johnson), plus the KRKX radio guy (the inimitable Matt Bodo).
Musically, a variety of styles unspools from country to gospel to a Latin rumba. Musical Director Paula Millar has coached her singers well. Padoven, who doubles as choreographer, continuously introduces a fresh movement vocabulary for each song and the dancing truck. Credit Charles Ford and his technical crew for subtle light, sound and colorful set – and for not letting the recorded sound track overwhelm singers. Costume Designer JoAnn Nevils slides us back into the 1990s with jeans, caps and fanny packs.
Credit Padovan for swiftly setting up the story lines and breezing through the counter plot with only a small desk and office chair. Like the truck itself, the chair-on-wheels becomes another dance partner in this imaginative production.
All remaining performances have technically sold out, but Wood-Patterson said the best way to get a seat is to just show up.
“Chances are we’ll have cancellations or last-minute noshows due to the weather,” she said. “So far, we’ve been able to seat everyone who just showed up.”
Check the website or call ahead to Greta, the miracle ticket master, at 749-8585.
Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.
Sharina Ramsey-Adams is Norma and Jade Sophia plays Ronnie in “Hands on a Hardbody.”
Photos courtesy of Kara Cavalca
George Gross plays J.D. and Zachary Chiero is Benny in “Hands on a Hardbody.”
