IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT, TYLER PRICE!

Not to be cliche, but a star is born in this one!

As important as this new musical’s message is, (which I’ll explain in a minute,) discovering young triple-threat Charlie Stover is what got to me the most.

It’s All Your Fault, Tyler Price! is based on the writer’s true story of his young daughter’s very serious epilepsy, and the family’s journey with it, especially that of her younger brother. Even as someone who has epilepsy myself, I do have to admit that the concept of a comic musical about epilepsy seemed a tad weird at first. But it’s presented with so much humor and good music and excellent performances that I feel it can possibly even make it to Broadway one day. It’s sort-of in the vein of Dear Evan Hansen and Fun Home. My friend Roz said, “It’s a delightful show, and I think it’s either Broadway-bound or we just lucked-out and had “Broadway West” in our laps.”

But I feel it can move on only with Charlie attached; every few of my notes were about how good he is!!! I have to rave about him a bit more before I move on to the rest of my review.

The first note I wrote about him early on is, “Son is cute, and he’s a good enough actor to carry the show.” Boy, was I correct. Charlie is so good, in fact, that he kept making me think he was really living the experience.

He’s beautiful-looking, sings great, and sells the role of the brother of the girl with epilepsy, who both protects her and feels unseen by his parents who always have to worry about their impaired daughter. And then I saw him do one grand leap at the beginning of Act II, and immediately thought, “The kid needs to play Billy Elliot!”

Roz said Charlie is “so perfect!” And that he “enunciates so beautifully and makes everything so clear,” which is great “especially in this world where we all rely on subtitles even on American television for all the people who mumble.”

I also have lots of good thoughts about the rest of It’s All Your Fault, Tyler Price! Someone explained the musical to me as being “heartwarming and hopeful,” and I agree. It  hit home for me on so many levels. I’m sure that everyone who sees it will find something in the scenario with which to identify, either with the illness aspect or simply as a family member. Towards the end, one of the characters says something like “everyone’s a mess,” and, “we all struggle with something.” Those are sentiments we all need to keep in mind.

I do have to admit that the show starts off sort-of slow, but give it ten or fifteen minutes, (basically until Charlie takes over,) and then you’ll love it from there.

My very first note was “cute father.” And towards the end I added, “And he plays guitar, too!” I didn’t realize that I had already given CJ Eldred a good review in last year’s Love Among the Ruins until I read the program the next day! I’ll always remember him from here on out.

And I absolutely adored Enrique Dueñas, who plays the school’s music teacher! He has the best voice. And can dance, as well. Enrique is another triple threat.

As to all the young actors here, when I see kids in any entertainment, I immediately think, “Oh no!” I always joke that my only prejudices in life are against racists, Scientologists, and…child actors! But the kids in this production may have just changed my mind about that last part—all of them are a revelation. They all seem so confident without being full of themselves. Roz also said, “The kids are all fantastic!”

I especially enjoyed Erin Choi; she makes the perfect little bestie to Charlie’s character. And I adore her wardrobe, especially her shiny boots with colorful closures. Actually, most of the wardrobe is good. I loved that, near the end, the mother’s rose pink purse matches her pants. I think I need to go shopping with Jessica Champagne-Hansen, the costume designer!

The set by David Goldstein is even more fabulous. And very ingenious. I love that different parts of the set light up to show what each scene is. Brilliant.

It’s All Your Fault, Tyler Price! is the first presentation I’ve been to where the first row is actually a perfect vantage point from which to see all the action. That’s unusual. I’ve been to this particular theatre before, and usually want to sit way back.

There are only two things about It’s All Your Fault, Tyler Price! of which I’m not a fan. The first is that it does does get a tiny bit public-service-announcement-y near the end. I know they’re just trying to make an important point, so I’m a tad iffy on that one. But I’m definitely not iffy on that that that awful misleading title. And the picture to go with it. Neither really have much to do with the narrative. And, of course, it makes us think that Tyler Price is the main character, which is far from the case. (And, if nothing else changes, even though, as you can tell, I’m a fan of those marks myself, at least that exclamation point has got to go!)

But that’s it for the negatives. I totally acknowledge what a gargantuan effort It’s All Your Fault, Tyler Price! is on the part of the writers, both on the script and music-wise. It’s a project definitely worth seeing.

Now here’s my own epilepsy journey, which I don’t think I’ve ever revealed before, neither in this e-zine nor on my former television show. I didn’t get it until my early twenties. After my first two seizures in one night, I woke up in the hospital. When the doctor told me the diagnosis, I immediately went into the recesses of my mind and thought back to a Dr. Kildare episode I had seen when I was about four years old, where he loved a beautiful surfer with the disorder. So, in my confused state, I thought my doctor was trying to tell me he loved me!!!

I don’t remember ever being embarrassed about having it, but someone recently reminded me that I had told her to keep it on the down-low. That was because, as a young actress, I couldn’t let anyone in the business know about it—I would have never been hired. So that stigma was attached to it. And probably still is!

I’ve always felt that our disease does not get enough attention. As a matter of fact, I used to go to private “family and friends” screenings at a famous place in Beverly Hills owned by a fun older pal. After a while, he decided that we should all contribute a nominal fee to a charity each week. I asked him to let guests take turns choosing which organization should benefit, and that I choose the Epilepsy Foundation as mine. But it was pooh-poohed, much to my chagrin. People really don’t seem to know enough about epilepsy to make it important to them. And when I hear people refer to seizures as “fits,” I go berserk! So please keep the correct terminology in mind, people!

I also identify with the brother’s plight in life. I totally understand what he goes through in his family. As a middle child, who was relatively healthy while my siblings were sickly, I got far from the kind of attention from my parents that they did. I even used to joke that my sister was my father’s favorite, my brother was my mother’s, but I was by far the fave of the woman who took care of us while my teacher parents worked. I always knew I was treated a tad less by my parents, in general, I never really felt unseen because my mother laughed at everything I said, and being funny became my thing. (But I was definitely annoyed that I was the only one who didn’t have my own room; I was just shifted around based on the health issues of my two siblings. And due to my sister’s bitchiness. But that’s my own horror story musical to write!)

I’m sure that everyone who has a sibling, healthy or not, or got in trouble at school, or is going through some health issue, (isn’t that everyone?,) will enjoy It’s All Your Fault, Tyler Price! on some or several levels. So I highly recommend it. And there’s a matinee on Saturday, December 14, that’s a “sensory sensitive performance.”

It’s All Your Fault, Tyler Price! running through December 15, 2024

Hudson Theatre 
6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood
323-856-4249 www.tylerpricemusical.com