For a show that touches down in a half-dozen places, “See Rock City & Other Destinations” doesn’t really get very far. In fact, this evening of musical vignettes, which opened last night, feels more like it’s running in place.
Written by Adam Mathias (book and lyrics) and Bard Alexander (music), it’s the latest production by the Transport Group, which gave us a stellar revival recently of “The Boys in the Band,” set in an actual penthouse.
“See Rock City” has a set gimmick of its own, but a far less effective one: This time, director Jack Cummings III has stripped a theater into a large open space, seating the audience on beach chairs surrounding the action.
Traveling across America are a gallery of troubled characters, with each member of the seven-person ensemble playing dual
roles. Among those we encounter are a single schoolteacher (Sally Wilfert), who makes a tentative stab at romance while taking her grandfather to the Alamo; a 20-something loner (Stanley Bahorek) who camps out at Roswell, NM, certain he’ll encounter extraterrestrials; and a bride-to-be (Donna Lynne Champlin), who faces her fear of commitment at that classic honeymooner spot, Niagara Falls.
In a song typical of the proceedings, she sings “What Am I Afraid Of?”
“Everyone’s afraid,” her mysterious tour guide tells her. “Afraid to be alone. Afraid not to be alone. Afraid of where they’re going. Afraid of where they are.”
While there are touching moments here and there, the whole affair seems too eager to tug at the heartstrings, like an overzealous tourist guide. Each of the overlapping segments has a predictable arc in which the characters overcome their doubts while warbling sensitively emotive tunes.
The members of the cast handle their dual roles well, with Champlin (“Sweeney Todd”) and Wilfert particularly moving as the skittish bride and lonely teacher, respectively. And the ballad-heavy score, reminiscent of William Finn, has some lovely elements.
But the show is uncomfortably close to the experience of visiting the far-flung locations in which it’s set. It’s worth a detour, but you may not want to stay very long.