The Lockout: A Musical
Book, Music and Lyrics: Ben Fort and Jason Gallagher. At: Six Hours Short at American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron St. Tickets: 312-226-9633 or www.lockoutmusical.com; $20-$25. Runs through: Sept. 15
O'Brien and O'Brian
Playwright: John J. Enright. At: Barely Concealed Productions at Dream Theatre, 556 W. 18th St. Tickets: 773-552-8616 or www.barelyconcealed.com; $17-$20. Runs through: Sept. 8
Finding just the right title to explain what a show is about can be a difficult or easy task. Just look at two flawed world premieres, The Lockout: A Musical and the comedy O'Brien and O'Brian, which both recently opened in Chicago.
The Lockout, as a title, doesn't quite fit for what co-authors Ben Fort and Jason Gallagher are attempting in their ambitious basketball musical inspired by the buildup to the shortened 2011-12 NBA season.
For one thing, the actual lockout between players and owners doesn't happen until nearly an hour and a half into the show. Before that time, the show is more concerned with lampooning the whole media frenzy about LeBron James' big-reveal move to Miami and how it affects the fictional Wichita team of The Water.
The Lockout also stumbles with the very earnest opening number "Game 6" (set at a Water-L.A. Lakers playoff game) that in no way prepares the audience for the sarcastic tone of the rest of the show.
The show's setup also makes you think that the main conflict will be between Water owner Phil Goodman (Ben Harpe) and his veteran player, Josh Sampson (Kyle G. Stephens). But no, the show switches to a humorous and unlikely "bromance" that develops between Goodman and the not-so-bright Utah Jazz player Macon Jones (Patrick Poulin).
The Lockout should offer plenty of laughs for diehard NBA fans, particularly when the authors take potshots at targets ranging from the villainous NBA commissioner David Stern to product placements made by vacuous cable TV sports commentators. But general theatergoers might be left out in the dark as to what Fort and Gallagher are so relentlessly spoofing.
The title of John J. Enright's comedy O'Brien and O'Brian certainly rolls off the tongue and suits its law-office setting. It's just that things end so neatly and pat that the entire show becomes hard to swallow.
The play focuses on bisexual attorney Darlene O'Brien (Madelaine Schmitt) as she welcomes a former classmate, Alan O'Brian (Bryan Hart), to share her new office space. But trouble arises when the prosecutor against Darlene's new client turns out to be her ex-lover (played by Julie Soroko).
O'Brien and O'Brian doesn't exactly provide sparkling dialogue for its so-so cast to convincingly pull off. And the easy happy ending doesn't feel entirely earned, since all the characters appear to get romantically paired off at the last minute.
The play also feels like it's only skimming its dramatic potential, given the sexual dynamics and the relationship dilemmas Darlene faces. Like The Lockout, O'Brien and O'Brian showed plenty of potential up front, but ultimately it didn't live up to its promise.