Terrific young performers make 'Trevor' stage transfer sing
"The program is set and there's just no place in it for you."
That statement, directed at a precocious teen desperate to perform in his middle school's talent show, comes early in "Trevor," the endearing new musical about a 13-year-old beginning to recognize his homosexuality. And the message surely resonates with anyone who felt out of place as an adolescent.
"Trevor," now in a world premiere at Writers Theatre in Glencoe in cooperation with U Rock Theatricals, is based on the 1994 Academy Award-winning short film by actor/writer James Lecesne and filmmaker Peggy Rajski. The film inspired The Trevor Project, a suicide hotline for LGBTQ teens.
The upbeat musical inspires as well, as evidenced opening night when audience members all but winced as Trevor (the young powerhouse Eli Tokash) was denied his shot at stage stardom. How much the audience identified with him was apparent from the sniffles audible during a poignant number late in the show, when Trevor - outed after his classmates discover his crush on star athlete Pinky (a nicely unaffected Declan Desmond) - gives in to despair and attempts suicide.
This new musical - nimbly staged by Marc Bruni ("Beautiful: The Carole King Musical") - clearly has Broadway ambitions. If authentic, unaffected performances by terrific, mostly local young actors were enough, "Trevor" could pack its bags tomorrow. But the show, which unfolds in 1981 in an unnamed suburb, needs tweaking. The second act feels rushed and the show overall lacks weight. Too often, "Trevor" feels like it skates along the surface. It's like an after-school special when it has the potential of a premium cable drama.
Still, most of the parts are in place. Case in point: the ebullient opening number. Choreographed by Josh Prince and accompanied by music director Matt Deitchman's nine-member ensemble, it stops the show. And "Trevor" boasts a tuneful, pop-infused score by writer/lyricist Dan Collins and composer Julianne Wick Davis, pairing their originals with some of Diana Ross' greatest hits, including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Do You Know Where You're Going To?" and "I'm Coming Out."
Ross, expertly invoked by the dynamic Salisha Thomas (gorgeous in Mara Blumenfeld's glittering gowns), is idolized by Trevor. He's a sensitive kid with big talent, bigger dreams and a secret. His cautiously concerned parents (nice work by Sophie Grimm and Jarrod Zimmerman) seem to suspect their son's homosexuality but cannot bring themselves to address it directly. Trevor himself doesn't recognize what he feels for Pinky, who's got problems of his own living up to his father's expectations.
Their budding friendship leaves Trevor little time for best pal Walter (Matthew Uzarraga, a kinetic charmer), frustrated at being left behind, and Cathy (a pitch-perfect Tori Whaples, a Grayslake Central High School freshman), a longtime friend who wants to be something more.
A candy striper named Jack (Jhardon DiShon Milton in a brief but lovely cameo) assures Trevor that things do indeed get better - and that is one of the musical's messages. The teen's betrayal and humiliation are difficult to watch, but the affection and empathy "Trevor" so ably engenders make this a musical worth seeing.
"Trevor the Musical"
Location: Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. (847) 242-6000 or <a href="http://writerstheatre.org">writerstheatre.org</a>
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday; through Sept. 17. Also 3 p.m. Aug. 30, Sept. 6 and 13
Tickets: $35-$80
Running time: About two hours, 10 minutes including intermission
Parking: Street parking available
Rating: For teens and older