‘February House’ – Music and Lyrics by Gabriel Kahan. Story by Seth Bockley. Directed by Katie Swimm. Music directed by Jeff Kimball. Produced by AJ Lyman. Presented by The Treehouse Collective at 539 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02131 from September 27th to October 13th.
by Helen Ganley
7 Middagh Street consists of plain wooden chairs sitting atop a worn red Turkish carpet, nestled between a golden bar cart and a brown settee, all tied together by a pinstriped chair in the corner. This homey, if dilapidated, artist’s enclave comes to life in The Treehouse Collective’s production of February House.
February House is a musical that tells the story of a bohemian commune in 1940s Brooklyn, where editor George Davis brings together a group of prominent artists and writers. The residents of the house, named for their shared February birthdays, seek to live and create together in harmony, but their experiment in communal living is challenged by personal conflicts, creative differences, and the onset of World War II. The musical, with music and lyrics by Gabriel Kahane, blends various musical styles to capture the spirit of the historical figures and their struggle to maintain an artistic utopia in a world undergoing upheaval.
Todd Sandstrom, as George Davis, pedals the draw of living in the open. Acting as the den mother to the band of misfits within the house, he struts across the stage, his bravado and charm occasionally cracked by moments of truth and sensitivity.
The cast of queer couples breathe life into the space. Carson McCullers (Em Sheeran), and Erika Mann (Shira Cahn-Lipman) form a contrasting duo – Sheeran’s lilting southern accent and bright soprano flying above Cahn-Lipman’s grounded French accent and tremulous alto in “Wanderlust.”
The May-December romance of Wystan Hugh Auden (Todd Yard) and Chester Kallman (Shai Wolf ) is characterized by another juxtaposition; Yard’s astute and adoring pensiveness clashes with Wolf’s nonchalance and zest for life, culminating in an emotional and fraught climax.
The most compelling coupling is that of Benjamin Britten (Travis Karas) and Peter Pears (Matty Finn). Karas is fastidious and tightly wound, pairing with Finn’s flashy and exaggerated antics in “Bedbugs.” The duo persists throughout the show, instilling the production with scattered moments of true romantic bliss and the utter hilarity of partnership.
The script, in and of itself, is meandering and plain and lacks direction and momentum. The entire cast and crew, however, perform well within the constraints of the book. The orchestra, directed by Jeff Kimball, backs the show exceptionally, complete with lilting banjo and soaring reeds. Dan Clawson’s lighting design warms the props and set of Britt Ambruson, creating the homey atmosphere of the artists’ empire. Marc Capizzi’s hair and joint design of costumes with Christina Petrillo set the story firmly in the 1940s, giving each character a unique éclat and character.
With the paint of the cigarette smoke and social status quo stripped away, a guild of artists finds their home in a derelict corner of Brooklyn. The Treehouse Collective’s February House highlights the importance of art in times of turmoil. For tickets and information, click here.
