Brian Sutherland and Diane Sutherland photo: Christopher Mueller
Broadway musicals, those grand spectacles with large casts and bright, shiny tunes are a blast to watch, but to see “A Second Chance,” now playing at Signature, is to experience a night of theatre magic. The two act musical by Ted Shen boasts no gimmicks or special effects, just two actors at the top of their game, who make you truly believe that you have dropped in on their budding romance and all that follows.
Broadway veterans Brian Sutherland and Diane Sutherland (real life husband and wife) play “Dan” and “Jenna,” two mid-life New Yorkers who meet at a mutual friend’s dinner party. He’s recently widowed and she’s recently divorced. They’d both like a swing at the titular second time around and, though they seem to like each other instantly, they both have their doubts about whether the time is right to move forward. He still carries his late wife’s photo in his wallet and so close to his thoughts that she seems to be perched on his shoulder. Jenna seems more ready to take the next step, but the “ghost” that haunts Dan is affecting his ability to give his whole heart to Jenna, even though she clearly deserves it.
The two short acts flow beautifully as a series of vignettes that go from the party that night to a subway two months later, to her therapist’s office one month later, and so on. By curtain call, we’ve gone through the couple’s first year. Remember, there are only these two actors on the stage, and yet they make us feel like we can see the other people in the bar, or the well-meaning, but nosey, neighbors who “catch” the couple leaving the apartment the morning after. There were several scenes where one forgets he’s in a darkened theatre and not, for example, standing with the couple in Central Park.
The level of realism is quite a feat when you consider that virtually all of the dialogue is sung. It does take a bit of getting used to, especially considering the number of tricky notes and, to my ears, bits of dissonance, though it’s clear that the correct notes are being sung. There are times when the harmonies are so tight between the Sutherlands that they practically sound like one voice. There are no applause breaks between numbers (another reason why the flow is organic and most welcome).
Too often, Romantic Comedies are neither, but “A Second Chance” goes from absolute hilarity to the familiar pains of the heart and back again so seamlessly, that it feels like real life. That’s the “magic” part.
The few times I was taken momentarily “out of the story” were to admire how beautifully staged the play is, given the small space, and to marvel at the lighting design by Jennifer Schriever, which transforms the small house known as The Ark into everything from a subway car to an evening at the park in a snow shower. The play, already a delight, is made stronger and better realized by Ms. Schriever’s artful work.
If you’ve ever fallen in love, A Second Chance is for you, and if you’ve ever fallen in love a second time, you’ll find parts of your own life story being told in this unfussy, expertly executed production.
“A Second Chance” runs through December 11th.
Tickets and Info for “A Second Chance” at http://www.signature-theatre.org