Talkin’ ’bout ‘Revolution(s)’: Goodman’s galvanizing funk metal tuner ideal for these times

“Revolution (s)” — 3 stars

“Revolution(s),” the provocative, funk-metal, hip-hop tuner that premiered this week at the Goodman Theatre, commenced with ominous lyrics.

Accompanied by an insistent guitar riff, the chorus sang: “If you hear the dogs, keep going. See the torches in the woods, keep going.”

Moments later, actors and instrumentalists unleashed a sonic assault the likes of which I have never heard at Goodman. A smile spread across my face as I listened to the gloriously noisy, rap and metal-infused opening, number thinking to myself: I hope I never get too old for this.

Cogent, assertive, unapologetic, the score for this galvanizing musical about family and legacy, oppression and resistance comes courtesy of composer/lyricist Tom Morello, Libertyville’s famously, fiercely political musician/activist who co-founded Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.

Composed of previously released material — with additional music and lyrics by Boots Riley, Big Boi, Killer Mike, Knife Party, Grandson, Ryan Harvey, Matt Shultz, Chris Stapleton and Anne Preven — “Revolution(s)” resembles a jukebox musical.

And an ideally timed one at that, as evidenced by the references to authoritarian overreach and defiance of the same, which echo real-life conflicts taking place in Chicago and the suburbs.

However, the show faces challenges common to jukebox tuners: namely crafting characters and a narrative from songs not written for the purpose of revealing characters and advancing plot. Gripping as they are, the earnest, righteously defiant songs by Morello and company emerge as snapshots of injustice and calls to action as opposed to enhancing the story.

The storytelling falls to playwright Zayd Ayers Dohrn, son of Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, leaders of the Weather Underground, a militant group from the 1960s and 1970s that advocated overthrowing the U.S. government.

Dohrn tells parallel tales. One takes place in 2016 and centers on aspiring rapper Hampton, an ex-soldier suffering from PTSD played by Aaron James McKenzie. Named for 21-year-old Black Panther leader Fred Hampton — whose shooting death by Chicago police and FBI agents during an early-morning raid in 1969 helped fuel the Weather Underground’s call for “revolutionary violence” — Hampton returns to the war zone that is his South Side Chicago neighborhood determined to combat injustice.

There, he encounters former girlfriend Lucia (Alysia Velez), best pal and former bandmate Sean (Billy Rude) and introspective twin brother Ernie (Jakeim Hart), a masterful guitarist who does not share his brother’s rebelliousness.

The second story — and to my mind the more prominent — unfolds as a 1989 flashback in which Hampton’s father Leon (Al'Jaleel McGhee), a onetime petty criminal, recalls the transformation of him and his schoolteacher wife, Emma (Jackie Burns), into revolutionaries pursuing social justice at gunpoint. (I suspect Dohrn's depiction of violence in reaction to systemic racism will inspire post-show debates among theatergoers).

The stories unfold simultaneously, underscoring how profoundly the parents’ experiences inform their sons (history repeating itself and all that). Hampton in particular seems destined to follow their lead after a rash decision sets in motion a tragedy.

The rock ’n’ roll bona fides of director Steve Broadnax III’s singer/actor/dancers are obvious. Along with first-rate belters, the cast also includes a couple of fine guitarists in Hart and Rude, who accompany music director Paul Mutzabaugh’s take-no-prisoners quintet. Unfortunately, the often-muffled lyrics suggest the sound mix needs tweaking.

The production’s winning visuals include Derek McLane’s multilevel, industrial set, whose backdrop is a wall of smudged windows. Greg Hofmann punctuates the looming shadows dominating his lighting design with sudden shocks of color. Equally impressive are projection designer Rasean Davonte Johnson’s Chicago-centric images overlaid with combat footage, which Johnson pixilated to arresting effect.

Broadnax’s staging is crisp and brisk. Millicent Johnnie’s hip-hop-inspired choreography demands attention. But Dohrn’s characters need fleshing out. Reluctant artist/warrior Ernie and undocumented immigrant Lucia come across as mere sketches. There’s no examination of Emma’s transition from liberal do-gooder to gun-toting rebel. A suggested same-sex romance stalls. And Leon’s final speech about resistance and revolution feels tacked on. A sentiment that inspiring deserves better.

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Location: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, (312) 443-3800, goodmantheatre.org

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday through Nov. 16. Also 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2 and 11. No 2 p.m. show Oct. 16.

Running time: About two hours, 10 minutes, with intermission

Tickets: $34-$104

Parking: Nearby garages; discounted parking with Goodman Theatre validation at the Government Center Self Park at Clark and Lake streets

Rating: For adults; contains strong language, violence, sexual situations; not appropriate for sensitive audience members