Alejandro Saucedo in Circle Theatre’s ‘The Other Josh Cohen.’ (Photo via Instagram)
Walking out of The Other Josh Cohen Thursday night at Circle Theatre, I could only ask myself “What just happened there?” At the same time, I was captivated and charmed by the meta musical that opened last weekend. Steve Rosen and David Rossmer’s kinda sorta autobiographical musical was an inventive show that relied on a versatile cast and Circle Theatre’s actors were up for the task in abundance.
Based on some real life experiences, the writers crafted a show that featured essentially five versions of the title character with one as the mainstay narrator Josh Cohen. Ian Ferguson served this part with likable gravitas. He sang, played guitar and delivered an everyman performance that gave the story its heart. This allowed the other versions and actors to go all out either as Josh or as other characters.
Each actor was giving different levels of high energy. While Ferguson anchored the show with superb steadfastness, Alejandro Saucedo had an abundance of energy in each of his roles like Josh’s landlord and even a couple of puppets while also throwing in some trombone work. Brett Warner served up comedic chops as the other Josh Cohen’s sweet but kind of oblivious mother while vamping it up as a porn star lawyer and a lovely final act character that put a bow on Cohen’s hapless story.
The cast of ‘The Other Josh Cohen.’ (Photo courtesy Circle Theatre)
Brian Hathaway played up Josh’s erratic sad sack side to droll effect and then belted out a song that demanded attention. He also didn’t make a bad Darth Vader. Cherish Love Robinson slayed in her dynamic display of multiple characters particularly as Neil Diamond. Oh and then she’d just take over the drums when needed.
Neil Diamond. Porn star lawyers. Trombones. Darth Vader.
What WAS happening here? Yet, Rosen and Rossmer’s story made sense as Josh Cohen’s story unfolded most from past vignettes to fantasy sequences with neon and silver. The smart script and the cast differentiated each situation that kept the story in order and director Ashley White helmed the show with a distinct abandon that lent to the musical’s free-for-all spirit.
That spirit was also sustained by Music Director Cody Dry’s keyboards, kazoo and percussion as well as a peripheral role as a cat. His work along with band mate bassist Sal Bollinger enhanced the show’s lively personality. Understudies/swings for the show were Micah Brooks and Kylie Stewart.
Describing the show may make The Other Josh Cohen sound like a wackadoodle experience, but it was far from that. The show was certainly everything, everywhere all at once in a multiverse of madness but its heart and charm was wrapped in the story of a man who is all of us at some point.
–Rich Lopez