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Students perform 'Closer than Ever'
Cast brings relationship struggles to McCarthy stage

By Jeff McLaughlin
Staff Writer

Awkward love triangles, divorced independent mothers and career driven parents played out on the McCarthy Main Stage last week. The St. Michael’s theater program reproduced the musical revue, “Closer than Ever,” a collection of 20 songs reflecting on changing relationships.

The musical is comprised of musical short stories, director Cathy Hurst said. The show has no written script and has not been very popular, but Hurst hoped the audience will experience something completely new, she said.

“The fine arts and theater program wanted to produce ‘Closer than Ever’ because the score has demanding music and powerful lyrics,” Hurst said. “We have many talented singers at St. Michael’s and I wanted to select a show where everyone in the cast would have a leading role.”

The cast consists of four men and four women, double what is normally used.  They rehearsed for seven weeks and were excited to perform in front of a real audience, sophomore and cast member Josh Bardier said.

There are only so many times you can run through the performance and it was time for an audience to be there to experience it with the cast, he said.

“It’s a combination of singing and movement,” Bardier said. “It’s been a very interesting experience and I have been really excited for it.”

Hurst has confidence in the cast and feels they are a great group to perform such a piece, she said.

“There is honesty, humor and vulnerability at the heart of this musical, and you need to have a cast who can sing, act, dance and feel the emotional tug of war that the songs reveal,” Hurst said.

The music was mainly performed by piano, played by Tim Guiles. The piano was not included in one scene where senior Melissa Briner was accompanied solely by Ian Kovak on bass during “Back on Base.”

The cast put countless hours into the production and were confident that it effectively came together for them, senior cast member Meghan Harrington said.

Photo by Mike Connors The cast of "Closer than Ever" during dress rehearsal Tuesday, April 1. Back row from left to right: Kevin Parise, Meghan Harrington, Joshua Bardier and Melissa Briner. (Front) Julia Watson, Andrew Parise, Jennifer Hunt and Brendan O'Leary.

“It has been a process,” Harrington said. “All of us have felt lost at times, but we have really come together.” The show opened with cast members entering through brightly painted doors, a reoccurring theme throughout the evening. As the show progressed, there was a satirical feel as the cast performed tunes addressing struggling relationships. Each cast member performed a solo. After performing the show a few times, Harrington felt things were progressing each night and that the excitement was building with every performance, she said. “There were definitely some kinks to work out and things to work through,” Harrington said. “I think we did enough to prepare for it and that it went really well.” The musical is full of life experiences ranging from heartbreak and failed marriages to physical appearance and seductive quiet women.

“There was a variety of themes throughout life portrayed within the piece,” James Conly of Essex said. “It is hard to get a perspective for such a show, but there was a strong effort from the cast.”

While some audience members remained hesitant in terms of the show’s substance, others said the show could relate to anyone ranging, from college students to senior citizens.

“I personally can’t relate with someone who has been divorced,” sophomore Hannah Pfeiffer said. “However, I think it is an appropriate play for a wide audience. It invites the community. It’s not just a teenage play.”

From a cast member’s perspective, Harrington felt that it was challenging to act as if she had gone through such experiences, but that there were ways for all viewers to connect to each song, she said.

“It was really challenging at first because there was a lot that I couldn’t relate to,” Harrington said. “I think once you look into it and examine yourself, everyone can see a piece of themselves in it.”

Each cast member has been emotionally affected by the experience and couldn’t imagine how far they came since the beginning of rehearsals, Bardier said.

“I look at each of my cast mates and smile because we are, every single night, closer than I could have ever imagined,” Bardier said. “It’s great to hear laughter and know that people, besides ourselves, are relating to this musical and the message it provides.”

Additional reporting by Roni Reino

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