The Real Kyle McCarren review – musical eulogy to lost bandmate strikes a chord

7 hours ago 4

They say don’t speak ill of the dead – how about singing instead? Based on real events, this new US musical is designed as a loving but warts-and-all eulogy. His friend and bandmate Kyle, who died out of the blue at the age of 21, was a rock for him, says creator Andy Roninson. “But in a Sisyphus way.”

Roninson narrates and plays the keys in a concert-style show that mostly unfolds in the days just after the death. It’s that strange period where a private sense of loss collides with congregation and you see the deceased through the eyes of mutual acquaintances, which can be jarring. This is exactly Andy’s experience as he’s outraged to find another so-called “best friend” Liam (Vincent Jamal Hooper) delivering a speech at the memorial, while tiptoeing around Kyle’s formidable mother (Jaygee Macapugay) and encountering Kyle’s ex (Sarah Coffey). Each of them has a solo tribute, covering a pleasing variety of rock, soul and folk (Coffey’s plaintive ballad stands out). Sean McVerry, who wrote the music and lyrics with book-writer Roninson, is ever-present as Kyle himself, frequently ribbing Andy.

Vincent Jamal Hooper, Jaygee Macapugay and Sarah Coffey in The Real Kyle McCarren.

This is an earnest, assured and polished production, co-directed by Lonny Price and Matt Cowart, with some well-crafted songs. Roninson is a Jonathan Larson Grant recipient and his musical – set in “upstate wherever in the year 2000-who-cares” sometimes shares the off-kilter neuroses and wit of the Rent creator. Songs are presented in original ways, from Liam’s eulogy to Kyle and Andy jamming together as teens to one of his recordings being recreated between the cast when a CD starts skipping.

The challenge is to make us feel Kyle’s loss while telling (never really showing) his story in retrospect and to round out his character largely through others’ reminiscences. Despite the talent on stage, and some acute insights into the grieving process (especially how you lose a part of yourself when a friend dies), Kyle remained elusive for me. Perhaps that’s because the focus is not on any key incident of his life but on sketches of its aftermath. We’re told he could be an asshole but there’s little nitty-gritty, conflicted emotion or overarching plot to go with that. If the show broke out of its concert format, and perhaps added some fuller flashbacks, the songs would still soar and the real Kyle McCarren might properly emerge.