ADVENTURES IN THE GREAT BEYOND

My friend Nina2 and I had a fun Hollywood night last week-end, seeing a new musical and attending their fabulous soiree afterwards.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

I honestly cannot remember the last time I reviewed a show at one of the many worthwhile smaller theatres around town, but when I received the colorful and interesting invitation for Adventures in the Great Beyond, I figured it was time to get back to them.  And the producers of this one were generous enough to throw the lovely Opening Night fete, which made the evening even more special.

Adventures in the Great Beyond is a new semi-comedic pop-rock musical that tells the story of a twenty-year-old girl who drops out of college, (the location of which is never mentioned, but we know it has a bus stop,) to travel to an ashram in Arizona to “find herself.”  (We don’t see the traveling; just her arrival and her time in the desert.)

The premise resonated with me because I, too, dropped out of (my first) college, (at nineteen instead of her more worldly twenty!) But I dropped-out after I had traveled from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, (just to go cross-country for the summer, not to “find myself,” as this character planned,) and wound-up finding Mr. X rather than myself! (I saw him on stage on my third night in town and thought, as he rightly claims, “How quickly can I get that head on my wall?”)  So, as fictional as the script is, it rang a bit true for me. (And to follow-up for you, I joined a circus within the year! Don’t ask. My poor mother.)

Getting back to Adventures in the Great Beyond, it’s not exactly Broadway material, however, especially at just under ninety minutes, it’s pleasant enough entertainment. The story is similar to some of the crazy tales I’ve read on Reddit and the like. At least this musical has a happy ending! And there’s even a bit of rope-jumping towards the end, which I loved!

The cast of Adventures in the Great Beyond: (L-R) Connie Jackson, Ryan Foreman, Kim Taleas, Kathleen Heflin, Queenie Navarro Michael Deni, Connie Monroe, and Steven Wishnoff. Photo by Joshua Shelton, as is the one at the top of this review.

It’s often hard to judge a show during the opening night performance, especially in a small theatre, because the audience is usually the friends and family crowd, meaning that their cheers drown-out my own thoughts, both yay and nay. So the whole thing had sort-of a high school “Sing” vibe to it, (which is not a bad thing—I loved doing those shows!)

But I did really enjoy the music. (Perhaps, though, not as much as a foursome who were rocking-out so hard the whole time that they were actually making their row of seats move!) It’s mostly wall-to-wall songs, which often sound alike, but the majority of the tunes are upbeat rock-style ditties, so it makes for a lively evening.  And there’s always something special about hearing live music so up-close.

Michael Deni and Queenie Navaro. Photo by Joshua Shelton.

Michael Deni, who plays the girl’s young love interest, is the best singer in the show. His duets with Queenie Navarro, (what a great name!) were my favorites of the show.

But Connie Jackson, who plays a postwoman in the desert, is by far the most accomplished person there, probably even more than the rest of the cast put together! Being a back-up singer for Phil Collins is just one sliver of her prolific career, so she’s definitely an attraction for people to see this show!  (She’s also the funniest one. The mostly young cast should be grateful for this opportunity to learn from her!)

But my shallow self was the most envious of the two girls who were rocking my former great bod! You go, belly-button-baring girls!

The backdrop that the stage opens up to. Photo by Karen Salkin.

There are two aspects of the show that gave me pause, though. The first is that Krishnamurti was a real person, so that choice of moniker for their guru is odd. (It’s spelled Kirshamarti in the program, but all the actors pronounce it like the famous man, so that’s a tad weird.) The other is that I saw the late plot twist coming from Santa Monica Boulevard! (It’s still kind-of cute, though.)

A word about the Hudson: It’s a wonderful complex, with a trio of actual theatres and a happening coffee shop in the middle of it all.  Adventures in the Great Beyond is in the Main Stage Theatre, which features stadium seating. Someone took the seat in the last row on the aisle that I reserved for myself when I got there, so I wound-up trying-out several seats because, even with the grading, as soon as someone sat in front of me, I could not see the stage! I’m telling you this so you don’t worry when it happens to you—after the first two minutes of the show, the stage opens up and you can then see most of it pretty well. They expand the set cleverly, and then it features a good desert backdrop. So no worries.

The non-passed party snacks. Photo by Karen Salkin.

When the show was over, the assemblage moved over to the restaurant Melrose Umbrella Co. for the generous Opening Night party. The drinks were flowing, the mainly-passed appetizers were beautiful and delish, and best of all were the lovely and cheery servers. They were actually perfect—polite, accommodating, and jovial, without trying to be our best friends! Other eateries should take lessons from them!

Adventures in the Great Beyond running through December 8, 2024
Hudson MainStage Theatre
6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood.
323-856-4249 www.hudsontheatre.com