ADRIFT IN MACAO: A Testimonial to Rolling the Dice

We here at the Broadway Rose Theatre are fortunate enough to work out of 2 theaters, a 600 seat and a 270 seat. The 600 seats have the orchestra pit, and fly space and many more bells and whistles.  The 270 seats can be more challenging to find the right show with its limited space. I generally read any submissions that come to the theatre as I am a fast reader, and then can report my findings to Sharon Maroney, our Artistic Director.

When Adrift in Macao came across my desk, I was intrigued by the title and the fact that is was a musical with book and lyrics by Christopher Durang and composer Peter Melnick, Richard Rodgers grandson. After I finished reading and listening to the piece, my co-workers wondered why the heck I was laughing so much in my office.

I gave them a brief description of the story and how it was set in Macao, China and spoofed the genre of film noir paying homage to classics like “Double Indemnity” with Barbara Stanwyck and “The Maltese Falcon” with Humphrey Bogart. The witty, fast paced, sometimes-nonsensical dialogue of Durang and the catchy melodies of the Rodgers pedigree hit a home run as far as I was concerned. I realized the piece had been around for a while, receiving good reviews for a short off-off Broadway run – and I was surprised it had not been done more often. It immediately went on to our short list of shows to be done in our smaller, 270 seat theatre.

Programming a year out, we had time to promote the show as a relatively new work. It also fit into the slot that showcased productions which were a bit off the beaten path. With my producers hat, I was a little worried about there being no intermission – since my audience loves to be social. But for the sake of the pace of the show, it was necessary to forgo it this time. We even decided to weather the few off -color words that might raise a brow with our crowd. But if it was directed the right way – and compared to what is presented on prime time commercial television – we were ready to take the heat.

All of our gambling paid off. Not only did Adrift in Macao do better than budget, but it attracted Durang groupies that had never been to our theatre and piqued the interest of the non-musical theatre-going patrons. Actually, the older set who I thought may be the most perturbed by the piece were the ones who loved it the most. They were around when film noir was at its peak, and knew exactly what the show was paying homage to – they not only enjoyed the humor, but the trip down memory lane.

I think the success of the show, for us, can be summed up in a note sent to me from an audience member who had never heard of this show before. She wrote, “Adrift in Macao is the funniest!  The lines and lyrics made me laugh so hard. The choreography was wonderful. I believe Broadway Rose should produce this show every year until everyone in Portland has had the opportunity to see it.  Thank you, thank you for a great time.”

Theatre begets theatre and I hope that many more theaters are willing to take a look at this terrific piece of musical theatre, roll the dice, and do better than budget.

To purchase a copy of Adrift in Macao, click here, and to learn more about licensing a production, click here.