Are you looking for some hot stuff? (Goodness knows the weather is…what is this misty, rainy, chilly crap at the end of May? Somebody call New England and tell them their weather is down here drunk in our yard again!) But seriously— are you looking for some HOT STUFF? Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre has got your ticket! If you’ve never seen Disaster! the brain-child of Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick (with additional materials by Drew Geraci) then you’re in for a zany, upside-down treat. This quirky, madcap comedy is exactly the dose of laughter the world needs right now. Who couldn’t use more laughter, especially in this day in age. Picture it— the fiery 70’s where disco music is raging, floating casinos are popular, and wall-paper looks like an acid trip gone wrong. Add-in a longue singer with adorable, albeit precocious, twins, a sleazy casino owner, and a nun with a gambling problem and you’ve got a recipe for, well, Disaster! It’s nonsensical hilarity at its finest as unlikely absurdity after unlikely absurdity befalls all of the characters involved with this ridiculous setup and it’s all set to some of the most iconic tunes of the 1970’s pop-culture radio station. Directed by Dr. Shane Jensen, with Choreography by Darryl Pilate and a live orchestra pit conducted by Marie Harrison, this epic insanity is chock-a-block with laughter, but more importantly, insane levels of talent.
Wanting to fully bathe the audience in that wretched allure of the 70’s, Director Dr. Shane Jensen employs the use of Scenic Artist Gigi Kingsland to amp up the groove-vibes well past a million. The wallpaper that’s meant to showcase the interior of the floating cruise ship will take you back on a trip and it’s everywhere you look. It’s tacky-campy décor at its finest and the attention to detail is sublime. (The orchestra pit is carefully tucked away beneath one of the overhead platforms behind some…shimmer curtains…that get caught up in the evening’s Disaster! from time to time, and although I was informed this was an actual ‘technical malfunction’ it fit in so well with the chaos of everything else happening in the story and on the stage that one would never know it wasn’t meant to happen!) The two-story scenic build is a staple for any ASGT production and Jensen and Kingsland make excellent use of this feature; giving you ‘levels’ just like an actual cruise ship. Working in tandem with Properties Designer Jessica Padgett, Jensen and Kingsland really get some grand effects for this show, which only adds to the overriding rate of hilarity. Keep your eye on ‘Ben/Lisa’ as they at times take turns being a prop. And watch out for the piranhas and sharks!
Almost forgot the elevators! Don’t want to completely give it away but Jensen, Kingsland, and the build crew have added a clever and hokey set of ‘elevator doors’ which only furthers the vein of nonsense into which this show delves. But honestly? It’s one of the most creative and clever, albeit cheesy as hell, set-pieces to function that I’ve seen on a stage in recent history. And a lot of the sets…let’s call them ‘quirks’ tie-in seamlessly with the assist from Lighting Designer John Purnell. When the floating casino…is perhaps a little less floating…wall sconces flip and flicker, and there’s a lot of other wild lighting effects that drives home the message of this play. Purnell also has a keen understanding of how to work lighting in the space, as the outdoor elements (including sunset) factor heavily into any show’s existence at ASGT. Purnell makes use of emotionally cued lighting as well, giving moodier moments their due with more subdued color blocks. And of course there’s raging reds and oranges for some of the more intense… ‘disaster’ moments.
Despite a few microphone hiccups (and after a rained-out final dress and a misting, messy opening Thursday, that’s to be expected) Sound Designer Hayden Van Wormer keeps the balance of the show, performers to band mics, on an even keel, at least a far more level one than…oh I don’t know… the one of the floating casino aptly named Barracuda? Wormer, working with Pit Conductor Marie Harrison, strikes even tones so that all of the soloists can be heard without being lost to the lush and slushy sounds drifting up from the orchestra and vice-versa. In a modern world where the precision art of sound-balancing seems to be lost, Wormer is proving that it’s not completely forgotten, at least not at AGST’s Disaster.
Rounding out the show’s exquisite 70’s aesthetic are the retro-fit couture compliments of Costume Designer Lisa Chadwick and her assistants (Jane Giles, Jenna Griffo, Valerie Yearwood.) And a nod to Ryan DeVoe for fiddling with the wigs, of which there are at least a few. (One or two very, very big and noticeable ones, and two that flip in and out so fast you hardly notice that they’re on or off!) Chadwick captures the essence of the 70’s in those loud, screaming jewel-tones deeply saturated in sequin, lamé, and shimmer-shine. For heaven’s sake, Chadwick even gives our Holy Sister Mary Gambler a— well, you’ll have to get a ticket to Disaster! to see exactly what! The outfits are sleek for this production and you get that blended notion that they could actually be in the 70’s or maybe just be one of those 70’s-themed cruise-experiences; either way it works for the show and really helps the audience enjoy the journey.
Hitting the high-notes when it comes to 70’s verve, choreographer Darryl Pilate gives you a lot of iconic moves thrown in— particularly when it comes to arm gestures— every chance there is to be adding funky fresh moves to the musical numbers that populate the show. “Knock On Wood” and “Saturday Night” come immediately to mind as grand examples of Pilate’s fine choreographic skillset. Having all of the dancers in the ensemble (Ashley Barry, Thomas Digby, Laura Krell, Drew Looney, L Osborne, Tyler Rose) swooping in and out of those routines alongside the principal players is an added bonus to the show’s visual appeal. Keeping the tempo perfectly paced so that those dancers can dance their hearts out with Pilate’s fun and funky choreo, Marie Harrison and her orchestra pit (Trent Goldsmith on keys2, Jeff Eckert on bass, William Georg on drums, Allyson Wesley on trumpet, Mari Hill on reeds, David Lewis on trombone, Aaron Kan on guitar) innervates each number with the appropriate pathos, giving those more lively songs— like “A Fifth of Beethoven”— a real pulse, which allows those tapping fiends to really get their groove on!
Wholly embracing the camptastic nature of Seth Rudetsky & Jack Plotnick’s concept for Disaster! Dr. Shane Jensen as the show’s director and musical director doesn’t hold back, particularly when it comes to the letting the characters embrace their inner insanities. The set does tricks, the actors do tricks, and it’s just a whacky good time from start to finish, even in the more ‘serious’ moments, which Jensen guides with a dead-serious attitude, making them that much funnier. With perfect casting for each role, you get a real sense of Jensen’s vision for the show and will find yourself chuckling from the opening introduction through to the fast-paced curtain call.
There are so many brilliant caricatures in this show it’s hard to pick where to start. Sleazeball Tony Del Vecchio (Ryan Gallucci) seems as good a place as any! Gallucci really embraces that revolting snake-oil-cut-corner-grossness of this character and is as oozy and unctuous is the plot is runny and cheesy. He’s got smooth vocals for “Do You Wanna Make Love” and the audience really enjoys his…comeuppance, let’s call it, when the second act gets underwater. I mean way. Underway. Poor Jackie (Caitlyn Ruth McClellan) is just gooey-eyed for that disgusting vile jerk, and you almost pity her, except for the fact that McClellan is bringing that ditzy-blonde-bimbo personality to the forefront of her character, complete with twangy southern drawl in her vocal affectation. There’s something wildly hilarious about watching her moon over that loser, but man oh man can she belt when it comes down to it. “Saturday Night” is full of zest and vocal flare, and when she throws poor nerdy Ted (Cameron Walker) into “Mockingbird” it’s really entertaining for the audience. The powerhouse moment for McClellan’s Jackie though is in the second act with “I Will Survive” and she just burns the house down.
The aforementioned Cameron Walker, as Professor Ted Scheider, is a walking joke-bomb exploding all over the place with awkward finesse that takes practiced, comedic ease. Ultra nerdy, particularly upon first appearance in that scuba-gear, Walker lets the character thrive in that ‘overly-educated-esoteric-dork’ fashion that only serves to add giggles and chuckles to the Professor’s on-stage presence. Watching him ‘tap’ along during “A Fifth of Beethoven” is even more entertaining (it takes some serious skill to tap safely and look like you don’t know what you’re doing while doing it) and when he gets throttled into “Mockingbird” it’s a proper hilarious scream. Walker also has a split of the trio “Feelings” (featuring Chad and Marianne) where the mood-lighting is sublime and the heaviness of the song is meant to be so deep but the hilariousness of the show surrounding it at that point makes it hysterical.
Speaking of Chad (Sean Garcia) and Marianne (Ally Baca), you get all sorts of star-crossed torn-up chemistry between the pair all throughout the show. While Garcia’s Chad is trying to show his buddy Scott (at this performance, Drew Looney) the ropes of how to score on a floating casino, Baca’s Marianne is trying to weasel out the truth for her scoop in the paper. Both have astonishing vocal talents, put on display respectively in solos and duets throughout the performance. You get a sense of Garcia’s real vocal prowess during “Without You” and he plays his woes with such straight-laced sincerity during “Three Times a Lady”, an uproarious duet featuring ensemble-member Thomas Digby, that you’re laughing through his tears. Baca’s eleven-o’clock-ish number makes its way into the second act and you get a sense of her vocal talents during “Baby Hold On.” Both play up the intensity of their respective characters, particularly when trying to not show the other their true feelings, in a level that’s on-par with Jensen’s overall vision for the show.
Now when it comes to a quad-fecta of scene-stealing, show-stopping chaotic and calamitous talent, you’ve got Shirley (Sarah Johansen), Sister Mary Downey (Emily L. Sergo), Ben/Lisa (Meghan McCarthy), and Levora Verona (James Claxton IV.) And hands down, these four are the uproarious screams of hilarity you didn’t know your life was missing until you encounter them in Disaster! Though it definitely ought to be mentioned that Michael Kenny, as Maury, is one-half of what makes Johansen’s Shirley so fiercely impressive. Their gushy-mushy, earnest chemistry is just too sweet and giving “Wilber + Edna” vibes, particularly during “Still The One” and the routine that they dance out in this song is just too precious for proper words. Kenny’s energy matches and compliments Johansen with such ease and effortlessness, you’d swear they really were the old married couple that they’re portraying. And his sense of comic timing puts him in as a contender when it comes to these four rulers of comedy.
Johansen’s Shirely is a riot. She’s got the vocal affectation down pat, the comedic timing— not just with Maurey but in every and any scene opposite Sister Mary Downey— and once she goes off on her ‘explosive-eruptions’ your sides will be bursting from laughing so hard at her antics. And what’s more she’s got proper singing chops that really blast their way through all of her moments in song. And when she kicks up her heels for “A Fifth of Beethoven”, that becomes the hottest number in the show, seconded only possibly by her too-cute-to-accurately-describe duet in the first act. Emily L. Sergo is another one who has perfected the vocal affectation of her character, and she plays the levels of that zany nun superbly. More high-octane-comedy than camp, if such a thing is possible in this type of show, Sergo is aces in the role and just slays when she’s singing “Never Can Say Goodbye/Torn Between Two Lovers.” And Sergo makes for an excellent dueting half during “Come to Me” with Levora.
James Claxton IV has this dominating personality that just screams stage diva and the audience is living for it! Ferocious, sassy, classy, and a whole lot of fun to watch in action, Claxton IV is slaying as the disco-diva-queen Levora. And those high-notes are this symphonic blend between Aaron Neville and Frankie Valli in their respective hey-days. The antics and comedic nonsense that Claxton IV achieves, particularly when fussing over ‘Baby’ is hysterical. With several musical solos, Claxton IV is hands-down winning the quarter of the crown split between those four show-stealing, amazing characters.
But if you have to choose one, when it comes to comic burden, execution, and overall laugh-factor— it’s Meghan McCarthy in the dual-role of Ben/Lisa. Playing ones own twin sounds daunting but McCarthy nails it expertly. (I did the digging, trying to figure out which run-crew to credit with her quick-changes, switch-block-action backstage…and McCarthy is doing it all on her own— seriously possibly parkour-ing backstage to jump up to the second level in less than 20 seconds; it’s insane!) “When Will I Be Loved”, which should ironically be this sad, sing-song number, becomes this outburst of hysterics from the audience because of McCarthy’s lifeboat antics, bobbing and popping up and down as Ben and Lisa on either side of Jackie. And although McCarthy doesn’t get any true solo songs, you get to hear her voice all throughout and will find yourself thoroughly impressed with her physicality and dedicated commitment to executing the bit. I mean, just watch her carry herself during that one scene (or two scenes because I think each of the twins takes a turn carrying the other!) It’s epic!
Hands down the laughable hit of the summer, arguably the funniest, feel-good show you can expect from the 2025 season, Disaster! The Musical is one for the books and one that should not be missed! But don’t leave it too long— ‘natural disaster’ may strike and they may sellout*and you’d hate to miss out on this Disaster! So don’t delay— get your tickets today!
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission
Disaster! The Musical plays through June 14th 2025 at Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre— 143 Compromise Street in Historic Annapolis, MD. Tickets are available for purchase by calling the box office at 410-268-9212 or in advance online.
*this is a known risk of shows at AGST; yes, they are that popular!
