Closer Than Ever is now playing at the Gateway Theatre until February 20, 2016.
The off-Broadway, two-act musical revue with music by David Shire and lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr, contains no dialogue but still manages to tell a story. In-spite of having no book, the opening number “Doors” sets the stage for a show looking behind the doors of an apartment building. Along the way, we hear stories of unrequited love, infidelity, divorce, dating, working out, working parents, friendships, second marriages, and much more.
Magnificently performing the cavalcade of characters Ma-Anne Dionisio, Caitriona Murphy, Kevin Aichele, and Chris D King lead the charge with Danny Balkwell and Caitlin Hayes onstage accompanying the singers on bass and piano respectively. Balkwell and Hayes each join the characterization on a couple of entertaining numbers with King takes over piano for Hayes’ song.
While a revue can often be just a hodge-podge of tunes, Richard Maltby Jr’s witty Closer Than Ever lyrics hold the story together once you realize how to connect the dots or in this case “Doors”, for this entertaining show.
Take a peak behind the ‘doors’ of Closer Than Ever until February 20th at Gateway Theatre, in Richmond. Buy tickets online now.