Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield
Music and lyrics by Will Van Dyke
Book and lyrics by Jeff Talbott
Directed by Ellie Heyman
“Is cancer something that comes in good amounts?”
“Fuzzy” is a musical of the most intriguing form. Nothing about it is traditional or ordinary. It is the story of a puppet monster whose mother is diagnosed with a small amount of cancer “on” her one good eye. He journeys home to Monsterville to care for her and ends up being her only caregiver for more than half a year. Being a puppet, we have to wonder if he is related to either of the “Monsters” in Avenue Q, the only other puppet musical I know about. In it Kate Monster says that all Monsters are not related, but I am not so sure. There must be some sort of relationship going on here. Three actors play the Monsters and their friends with some aid from the three-person band, all of whom get involved in the play. I have never seen anything like this before, and I confess I was caught up in it from the start to the finish and was even moved by it.
This new show, with music and lyrics by Will Van Dyke and book and lyrics by Jeff Talbott, tells an intriguing story of family relationships and responsibilities. Fuzzy speaks to his mother weekly, and when he learns of her peculiar ailment, he decides that a visit, long overdue, is a timely must. His trip is evidenced by the audience, as is his difficult family scene. Mom, or Muzzy, is not very good with information, and they live with an awkward partnership for a while. The 11 songs in the show are designed to aid the story and not to be hit songs; like the book of the show, their design is honest and realistic and awkward. This is a most unusual total experience. In spite of the irregularities, the work inspired extraordinary reactions from the audience, and the show is definitely a must-see.
The scenic design by Raphael Mishler is as untidy a series of spaces as you could imagine, and it works to the benefit of the script. Juliana Pan’s costumes are simple and keep the people involved visible yet unintrusive. David Lander’s lighting is dark and subtle, but nothing is missed from the audience’s perspective. Amanda Villalobos is responsible for the four puppets’ design, and she has pulled off a coup. They are great! Even Jason Crystal’s sound design is excellent.
John Cariani was the voice of Fuzzy, a sprightly little red monster whose girlfriend Jo-Jo speaks but only appears once. Cariani is extremely talented. He holds conversations with himself beautifully. He is billed as The Human, a role he plays well, but he truly shines as Fuzzy.
When his “Human” needs emotional aid, he is plaintive and insecure, as he must be, and when he is adding items to the set, he is still inside his two principal characters. It is a remarkable achievement to be sure.
As “The Actress” who assumes the role of Muzzy, Cass Morgan more than fills out the role: She sparks emotional reactions that the play needs. Morgan, of “Pump Boys and Dinettes” fame can still sing like a diva and can act up a storm. As she fleshes out the gray puppet’s dilemma with her voice and her body, she engages the audience in a unique way: Muzzy’s plight becomes the lynchpin in the plot, and the story moves from Fuzzy to Muzzy and holds for a long time. Morgan is devastating; her character is a new classic for the mother roles in musicals.
Holding so much of the action together, “The Puppeteer,” played by Teddy Yudain, brings a great sense of humanity to the four puppets in the play: Fuzzy, Muzzy, Jo-Jo, and a TV monster preacher, Pastor Brian. Yudain is a master. No one could be better at eliciting emotional reactions from an attentive audience using only hand puppets.
It is a credit to the authors, actors, and director Ellie Heyman that the people out front in seats watching this show react so perfectly to the goings-on on stage. When band members comment on the action or the needs of the puppets and humans, it is realistic and natural. A thought goes through our minds: Don’t band members always comment during a show? Of course they don’t, but here it feels natural and real. They are Shraman Ghosh (piano), Ben Clark (guitar), and Carl Carter (bassist).
I think I could watch this musical over and over and never tire of it, never be bored, never imagine a different scenario. It isn’t a musical about cancer; however, without that element, there wouldn’t be a show at all. It is a musical about family and friendship and love. The humans all love the puppets they voice or move—or both. They are extensions of one another, and that is what matters here. “Fuzzy” is a fuzzy show about all of us and what is expected of us as an extended family of folks. It is meant for us. It belongs to us.
“Fuzzy” plays at Barrington Stage Company’s St. Germain Stage in the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center Building, 36 Linden Street in Pittsfield, MA, through July 27. For information and tickets, visit Barrington Stage Company’s website or call (413) 236-8888.
