Brien Overly
Lies, death, despair, attempted knifings, drug addiction, teen pregnancy, poverty, jealousy and social class dissociation – all set to a campy musical backdrop?
Doesn’t seem quite right, does it? But somehow, the cast of “Blood Brothers,” the Theatre Arts department’s fall production, makes it work without any hint of contrivance. Maybe a little cheese here and there, but otherwise gimmick-free.
Both Josue Flores and A.J. Noonan displayed their talents playing the lead roles of two brothers separated at birth, Flores’ Eddie being given to a wealthy family and Noonan’s Mickey staying with his struggling birthmother, played by Katie Watts.
Flores and Noonan captured the awkwardness and likeability of two young boys transitioning into manhood. Noonan’s emotive performance of Mickey and his slow descent into emotional instability was genuine and sincere, as was Flores’ depiction of Eddie, despite the fact his character had been handed all the luxuries in life.
Even though the plot of “Blood Brothers” is heavy on darker subject matter, the play still showed a lighthearted side, with jokes innuendo thrown in every now and then to break up the melancholy. It was the cast’s ability to effectively deliver both humor and melancholy that kept the mood from feeling forced.
Ultimately, musicals are hard to pull off when tackling heavy issues, but the cast of “Blood Brothers” took what they had and ran with it. The closing scene with the giant ensemble song was a bit much, but not unforgivable by any means, when looking at the rest of the play.
The engaging performances given by all the cast members, most notably Flores, Noonan and Watts, tell a dramatized story in a harsh and real light.