Wonder Girl!

This weekend was completely and utterly booked. I originally planned this trip as a sort of secretive, low-key weekend because my friend had written the music for a musical and I wanted to be there to support him. It’s not every day someone you know qualifies for a Richard Rodgers award and his work has the potential for opening on off-Broadway. I won’t pretend I know much about the award but I do know that friends always need support. So I bought a plane ticket to come see his musical and also spend a little time with friends I didn’t get to see last week. It also qualifies for my “Buy an impulse plane ticket” on my 22 Things list.

With the advent of my dance teacher’s memorial, however, I moved the date of my trip a day earlier so that I was able to perform. I’m so lucky to have found a job that lets me have flexible time off and since I can work from almost anywhere with an internet connection, I was able to get my work done while at home. But enough about my personal life, let’s get to the musical! To say I enjoyed it would be a ridiculously sad understatement.

Because my friend wrote and conducted the music, he had to be there a little earlier. I got to tag along and the experience was breathtaking. My heart is beating so fast just thinking about it.

Wonder Girl is put on by BareStage Productions, the oldest student-run theater company at Cal. The cast was small – several actors played multiple roles – but the energy pre-performance was electric. While walking in, I was hit by the full force of “Take Me or Leave Me” being belted by multiple cast members and all I could feel were chills running up and down my arms. They were getting ready, putting on make up, but the energy from them was exhilarating. They cycled through a few famous musical songs and I couldn’t help but join in on the fun, singing along (albeit quieter because my voice is hardly pitch perfect) and just marveling at the sheer passion and energy that revolved around the room.

I sat in the pit for a pre-performance run through of a song and every moment I was thinking, “I can’t believe Stefano made this. I can’t believe this pit is so willing to trust him and trust the trajectory of this show. I can’t believe this is student-run. I can’t believe there is so much talent I never knew about.” As the lights dimmed and I took my seat in the audience, I braced myself for what I knew was going to be an amazing performance. There’s no way a roomful of that much energy was going to churn out something mediocre.

Wonder Girl is a superhero tale, but it’s not just your average superhero tale. There’s humor, there’s pop culture references, there’s puns, and there’s a bit of darkness. I don’t want to give away the plot but there are so many new and fresh ideas that pour from the musical and really give you pause. Weston Scott, the writer, has decided to take a new angle on the ever-loved superhero concept and give his main character, Wendy, much more vulnerability. With a few dark turns, it’s easy to see why Wonder Girl is universally appealing to all, yet specific in its telling. (Does that sound cliché?)

The blocking and directing were equally fantastic. With a small stage space and I’m sure a smaller budget, Wonder Girl managed to use its set to help telling the story without sloppy scenery changes or forcing the audience to imagine the background. With two square revolving doors in its design, the stage was able to transform from bedroom to football field to a clever way of switching and transforming characters. Whoever thought of that is ingenious and deserves some sort of set design award. I’ll award him the “After the Diploma Set Design Award.” Feel free to come claim it whenever.

Lastly, the music. The music was the original reason I came to see (hear?) this musical at all. Music has always been in a permanent fixture in my life – from learning to play the piano to dancing, it’s always there. I could, however, never think of creating music. The concept is absurd to me. It’s absolutely baffling and my pitch is absolutely imperfect. To learn that my friend had composed everything from scratch and watching it all take life was astounding. I think I’m running out of synonyms for amazing but there’s really no way to describe the awe and admiration I have for his talent. The pit was spot on in its delivery and I can’t imagine Wonder Girl sounding any other way. Everything just fit together so perfectly.

If you’re in Berkeley, Wonder Girl is a must. I regret not going to more student performances in my days there. I saw Twelfth Night performed a few years ago, since my acceptance of Shakespeare into my life, and again, I was so impressed by the talent that blossoms at Cal.

I want to say congratulations to all the cast and crew of Wonder Girl. You’ve certainly impressed me and I’m sure you’re going to wow audiences to come. Consider me a walking, talking advertisement for your show and if you need a Wonder Girl groupie, consider me sold! T shirts and swag will be accepted.