The title of Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s season opener, songs for nobodies, , reminds one of the famous poem by the late Emily Dickinson. “I’m Nobody! Who are you? Are you – Nobody – too?” If there’s a lesson to be learned, this musical revue teaches us that “nobodies” deserve our attention as much as celebrities do.
In this American premiere by Joanna Murray-Smith, directed by Laura Braza, a formula quickly emerges. First, audiences are introduced to a “nobody” (bathroom attendant, theater usher, cub reporter for the New York Times) who spins a yarn that brings them together—briefly—with a star.
The set remains the same throughout. It’s a slightly faded backstage dressing room, filled with a worn chaise lounge and a few other pieces of furniture. The walls are covered by posters and casting photos of some of the women we’ll “meet” during the show. As each vignette is introduced, an unseen stage manager calls over the loudspeaker: “30 minutes to curtain,” or something similar. Imagine that all the characters—including legendary singers and the “nobodies” whose lives they affect—are played by a single powerhouse performer. Bethany Thomas, who has appeared in several Milwaukee Repertory Theater show, displays her own star quality in this show, which runs nearly two hours. The talented Thomas indicates the role she’s playing by her voice and gestures alone. Wearing a nondescript blue dress (by costume designer Alexander B. Tecoma), Thomas does a better-than-average impersonation of the following: Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday, and Maria Callas. The way in which she saves the operatic Callas for last is nothing short of amazing.
The opening sequence sets the tone, as Thomas becomes a stupefied bathroom attendant who sees Judy Garland stroll into her bathroom following a performance one night. The dumbfounded attendant notices that Garland’s dress hem is coming down in the back. She offers to repair it, although she almost freezes at the thought of being so close to a movie star. Although Garland has just finished a gig at nearby Carnegie Hall, she repays the attendant’s kindness by singing a full-throated rendition of “Come Rain or Come Shine.” A similar set-up follows for all the other women celebrities. Patsy Cline hauls a “nobody” theater usher onstage to be her back-up singer. “Crazy,” written by Willie Nelson, is one of Thomas’s best tunes. In addition to Thomas, the stage is occupied by Abdul Hamid Royal on piano, and cellist Alicia Storin. (The musicians linger in the shadows, so as not to draw attention away from Thomas.) Following Patsy Cline, we get a glimpse of Edith Piaf, France’s “little sparrow,” who sings “Non Je ne Regrette Rien.” Before Thomas has time to catch her breath, we are already rooting for a young female reporter whose career is poised on whether she can get a few quotes from Billie Holiday. When deferential remarks won’t unhinge Holiday’s mouth, the young reporter reveals the truth: without Holiday’s cooperation, the rookie will be sent back to the “women’s section,” writing about box pleats and brassieres. This appeal to Holiday’s sense of justice (or, more appropriately, injustice in a world ruled by men). As Holiday begins to open up, she cuts the moment short to sing, “Strange Fruit,” a lynching song (that became Holiday’s signature). She also sings, “Lady Sings the Blues,” before we quickly move onto Maria Callas and her affair with wealthy Aristotle Onassis.
Playwright Joanna Murray-Smith adds just the right amount of background detail to make the audience care about the lives of these “nobodies,” and Thomas delivers on all counts. The package makes for an entertaining evening. That said, audience members with a taste for celebrity gossip might be slightly disappointed in songs for nobodies, since we get only well-known facts about these legendary figures. But it’s a treat to hear some well-known hits from the past, packaged and delivered so smoothly in the recently remodeled Stackner cabaret.
