Jeff (Max Jenkins, left), Mark (Evan Todd, center), and Judy (Sas Goldberg) dish while waiting for Idina Menzel’s autograph in Ana Nogueira’s Which Way to the Stage.
Anyone who has walked by a Broadway theater’s stage door after a show will immediately recognize the central characters of Ana Nogueira’s Which Way to the Stage. They are the ones clutching a copy of Playbill (usually protected in plastic) in one hand and waving a Sharpie in the other. As they wait for autographs, they fervently debate the most pressing issues of the day, such as who should play Mame in the next Broadway revival; which Glinda in Wicked even comes close to Kristin Chenoweth’s performance; and, for heaven’s sake, will Rob Marshall ever make Follies into a movie?
Judy sizes up her competition with another aspiring actress (Michelle Veintimilla) at an audition.
Set in 2015, Which Way to the Stage begins with Judy (Sas Goldberg) and Jeff (Max Jenkins) hanging around the Richard Rodgers Theatre, where the musical If/Then is playing. (Adam Rigg’s scenic design uncannily replicates the building’s exterior on 46th Street. Jen Schreiver and Mextly Couzin’s lighting deftly conveys New York at night.) As they eagerly anticipate the chance to meet the show’s star, Idina Menzel, they argue over who is the preeminent Mama Rose in Gypsy.
Judy is firmly on team Bernadette (as in Peters, of course), asserting that she brilliantly played the role as a woman consumed by regret. Max is all in for Patti (LuPone, naturally), and claims her unpredictability made her so scary and so good. He explains, “I’m like actually afraid of what she’s going to do. Is she going to stab her daughter? Is she going to rape Herbie? Is she going to unhinge her jaw and devour them all? I don’t know!” If they can’t agree which diva deserves the crown, then they are at least of one mind that Imelda (Staunton, for the uninitiated) is not even in contention.
Judy is an actress and has recently started auditioning again after pursuing a career in real estate. Jeff is also in the theater, and as he awaits his big break, he hosts and performs a drag show every Monday night. (Sinan Refik Zafar’s sound design masterfully provides the soundtrack for lip-synched drag performances.) Both in their early 30s, they have been best friends since college, but their relationship is put to the test when Judy meets handsome and charming Mark (Evan Todd) at an audition for a production of Avenue Q in Maine. Mark’s seemingly effortless move from Wall Street to show business forces them to confront the obstacles facing women and gay men in the industry.
Judy and Jeff share a laugh.
Rounding out the cast are a voluptuous actress, a drunk bachelorette, and a harried casting director (all played by Michelle Veintimilla), who bring out the best and worst qualities of the newly-formed stage-door trio.
At its heart, Which Way to the Stage is a hilarious valentine to the theater. Sprightly directed by Mike Donohue, the play perfectly captures the passionate responses that musicals, larger-than-life performances, and thrilling show tunes can provoke. The show will appeal to musical enthusiasts who instantly recognize dance moves from Bob Fosse’s “Hot Honey Rag.” (Paul McGill provides terrific “oreography,” as Jeff terms it.) Yet, the play also shows the other side of showbiz, including the hard work, sacrifices, and self-doubt that come with being an aspiring performer.
The characters may first appear to be stereotypically drawn, but Nogueira continually digs deeper into their psyches to show the insecurities underneath the carefully constructed façades. Along the way, the play also reveals the ways in which individuals may proclaim their commitment to diversity, but they casually lob homophobic, misogynistic, and elitist remarks. What begins as an airy, camp romp becomes a trenchant examination of issues around gender, sexuality, and class. If that sounds like bitter medicine, audiences are rewarded with big laughs and fabulous production numbers.
Jeff and Mark at an audition. Photographs by Daniel J. Vasquez.
The play benefits from a spectacular cast and wonderful design elements. Goldberg is delightful as the slightly awkward woman who can’t quite summon her inner diva-dom. Jenkins is a force of nature but is possessed with inner demons. As the dreamy straight man, Todd expertly mines the mysterious allure of the character, and in her three distinct roles, Veintimilla is a wonderful chameleon (receiving excellent support from Enver Chakartash’s costumes and Domino Couture’s hair and makeup).
The title of the show cunningly omits the concluding question mark. “Which way to the stage” suggests that there are a number of different means of making it in the theater. Nogueira and company offer a great deal to contemplate. Audiences would be well advised to get directions to the theater and ask questions later.
Ana Nogueira’s Which Way to the Stage plays through June 5 at MCC Theater’s Newman Mills Theater (511 W. 52nd St.). For tickets, COVID guidelines, and performance schedule, visit mcctheater.org.
