There is a Wild Party in Austin this month!
The musical The Wild Party is based on a 1928 poem book by Joseph March, evocatively illustrated by Art Spiegelman. In essence it is a hard-boiled Jazz-age tapestry of the lives of various characters.
I interviewed the director, Julianna E. Wright about them and the production.
“The characters in this show are damaged. Somewhere along the way, they’ve been shaped to exist in such a manner that requires them to portray a certain attitude and engage in a certain behavior as means of protection and, hopefully, survival.”
Their tragic tale from 1928 is being brought to vibrant life here by Austin Underground Collective. The founders of the company are Leslie Hollingsworth, and John Vandergans, the music director. “They’ve been doing theater in this town for decades at this point,” said Wright.
They and the other members of the Collective “came together and wanted to do something they felt was different. And what they thought would be interesting is a more immersive type of theater company where folks come in not just to watch the show but to be part of that show.
“A lot of the reason that Wild Party is not done often is the music’s incredibly complicated. It’s gorgeous music. It’s wonderful, but you have to have a certain amount of talent to be able to pull that off.
“So they thought this would be the first best inaugural production. Why not pick the hardest?”
Picking a venue for this was crucial. It would not work in a brightly-lit modern theatre. “Hollingsworth and the others wanted to find a speakeasy-type of period place and apparently Pershing Hall in east Austin is an old logging factory.
“And so it’s been around for a hot minute! The Pershing folks were more than willing to do this musical with us.”
So, what would you like to tell people that might be interested in visiting this performance in the next few weeks?
“I would love to tell folks to come ready to have some fun. Whether they’re familiar with the show or not, to come and see something different walk away not forgetting the experience.”
All the superb talent in the show is comprised of Austinites, and they suitably evoke a wild party from the 1920s. The show I saw on Sunday, opening day, was supposed to be the full theatrical play. However, one of the key vocalists experienced a medical issue earlier, so I viewed the shortened “musical revue” version. It is a testament to the talent that they were able to reset the intended show so quickly.
While you can book “wallflower” seats, the intent of the musical can only be fully appreciated by booking one of the circular tables. Dancers and singers constantly weave in and around the tables as the party progresses; you can jump up and join in during the performance of the theme song. One fellow was even enlisted to help the stripper take her gloves off later in the show; the rendition of the song St. James Infirmary is priceless. It was made famous by Louis Armstrong in 1928, the same year March published his poem.
Vibrant, sassy and titillating, The Wild Party is not to be missed.
The performances will run for three weeks, until Nov. 12. Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and two shows on Sunday (5 and 8pm). Location: Pershing Hall, 2415 C East 5th St., Austin.
Dress code: 20’s party dress is encouraged; for men, tuxedo or tails is best.
Website for tickets: austinundergroundcollective.com
This is Andrew Lippa’s version of The Wild Party, which premiered Off-Broadway in February 2000 at the Manhattan Theatre Club.
Photo of Director Wright, on the set of the musical, is by C. Cunningham.