The Quadrangle

Issue date: 3/30/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Brooklyn, the musical, is like a large helping of Doritos or Cheetos.  It initially soothes your appetite with upbeat songs and unique costumes but essentially leaves you with nothing more than an unsatisfying stomach ache and incriminating sticky cheese fingers. This is truly a shame since Brooklyn, the only musical to debut in the fall of 2004, has plenty to enjoy with not only the book, but the music and lyrics by March Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson.

The story of Brooklyn is narrated by five street singers who perform on a street corner right below the Brooklyn Bridge in hopes of collecting a few extra dollars. Their act begins in Paris where the title character, Brooklyn, is residing. Brooklyn is orphaned at a young age after her mother commits suicide in the name of her long lost love, Brooklyn's father. Alone and in search of the only relative she has left, Brooklyn travels to America and finds herself in the borough she was named after with a budding music career.?
Trying to manage her new found stardom, Brooklyn faces the challenge of resident singing sensation, Paradice, played by Ramona Keller, who is?threatened by Brooklyn's talent and desperate to claim her territory.  Brooklyn decides to publicically sing an unfinished tune after every performance that only her father would be capable of completing in hopes of a reunion.  However, the possible heartfelt story is often lost among other plots tossed in and out of the intermission-less show, leaving the audience with unanswered questions.?
Yet, portions of the musical are meant to reach out to the audience and affect them on a personal level.  Topics such as drugs, war, loss of life, and poverty are thriving in the world today. The struggle for fame, how people want it, and what they will do to get it is remarkably shown through the story of Paradice and Brooklyn's competition.
?Aside from the shaky story, Brooklyn is filled with upbeat and powerful songs such as: Once Upon a Time, Raven, Streetsinger, and Heart Behind these Hands. Eden Espinosa and Ramona Keller deliver breath-taking performances which will have you on your feet applauding and singing your way to the CD counter.
?The remarkable use of costumes could lead Brooklyn to a Tony win for costume design. Most of the costumes designed for the street rats are made completely from garbage such as soda cans, trash bags, empty bags of chips, caution tape-you get the picture here.
?Overall, the mediocre musical has its moments. It is guaranteed that you will have Eden's main solo stuck in your head for days whether you like it or not. Depending on your taste in Broadway shows, this could be your next favorite or your most recent waste of money.

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