LIVING WITH HENRY by Christopher Wilson. Jul 14 at 7:30 pm, Jul 17 at 5:15 pm. George Ignatieff Theatre. See listing. Rating: NNNNN
This fully staged chamber musical, imaginatively directed by Donna Marie Baratta, seems primed for a professional run.
The once carefree Michael Ryan Kelly must learn to come to terms with living with HIV, cleverly personified as Henry, a jealous tough guy who haunts Michael and his relationships. The story, told primarily through song with little dialogue, feels authentic. Christopher Wilson’s music ranges from a comic bathhouse tango to the tearful song Michael’s mother sings to her comatose son. The piece might be stronger if the characters avoided psychobabble when analyzing their relationships, but this is a quibble given the committed, passionate performances from the entire six person cast.
