Relating to a bunch of university-bound brats is not an easy task for the team behind Departure Lounge, but somehow that is just what manages to happen. The closeted character of Jordan strikes a chord with anyone who has ever held a secret. In fact, the song with that title is one of the only serious moments in the show that seemed purely natural, unforced, and human. But, as a musical comedy about adolescents, it really only needed that one soliloquy to bring the entire meaning of the production home. Comedies are only good on the drive, ehem- tube ride - home, if the audience can relate to the characters. Without a genuine connection, theatrical comedy can divulge into meaningless slapstick or disgusting wit without a purpose. As Departure Lounge can indeed slip into the rather revolting sides of being an eighteen-year old male, the character with any kind of conscience turns out to be the very one we as an audience have been instructed to care about. His ultimate acceptance by the group of friends at the end of the show, no matter how cliche, is a testament to the power of love- easily making the production accessible to more than just a fraction of society that would have enjoyed a show about banging a girl named Sophie and over-drinking.
I found the music in Departure Lounge to be incredibly lackluster except for two major moments. As I previously mentioned, I particularly thought the show added a great amount of depth and maturity in its discussion of Jordan’s “Secret”- and the song he sings about his secret is easily the most dynamic musical piece of the production. The other moment where the music stood out was in the delicious four-part falsetto harmony detailing why youngsters think it’s hip to use the word “gay” to describe something unwanted. It almost seems as if the creative team was saving the good melodies and musical ideas for the single point they wanted to drive home regarding homosexuality. After the first few minutes of the opening number about the “Brits on Tour,” I was rather convinced that the story would be of little interest to me and I simply put on my comedy glasses to mindlessly enjoy what was inevitably to transpire. Although disappointed with the music over the course of the evening, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the text at certain points while maintaining some airs of comedic intent. In addition to the discussion of homosexuality, the problems of reconstructing Thursday night from several overly-intoxicated memories proved to be more than a passing thought; I felt that the audience, including myself, began to consider those questions a little more deeply that they might have thought they would be. I can recommend Departure Lounge as slightly more than a silly little musical foray, although with some crucial musical re-writes I could see it blossoming into something more than what it currently is.
Christie Pryor, UCSB
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