It was the luck of the Irish that got my butt into a seat at The Linney Theater to see God’s Country in the 10th Annual New York Musical Theater Festival. Okay - maybe not so much luck as the fact that I’m an admitted Celtophile. Even so, my attraction to Irish culture has more to do with Martin McDonagh than anything “twee” so I wasn’t wholly confidant a musical would do the trick. Happily, God’s Country satisfied not just my love of all-things-Irish, but my appreciation for all-things-theater.

 

God’s Country tells the story of upper class Englishman James Watson, who – upon learning he’s adopted and Irish – travels to America in 1871 to find his birth mother who’d immigrated there. The play follows James’ journey as he crosses the Atlantic only to navigate the more treacherous waters of the Irish immigrant community of Five Points in Lower Manhattan. Along the way, James picks up a sidekick, Tom Killian, starts a newspaper and falls in love with Temperance worker, Kathleen Cahill, a.k.a., “Miss Should.” Yes – the play does have its share of stereotypical Irish drunks but they’re framed as being part of a community of hopelessness - in the same way that Sinead O’Connor frames Ireland’s alcoholism in her powerful rap, “Famine.” (There never really was one.) The play, while being as buoyant as foam on a Guinness, also delves into the darker side of immigration – oppression, prejudice and American as a land of opportunity - to be ripped-off, that is - as made evident in the stage-setting romp of a song, Welcome to America.

 

Indeed God’s Country has all the charm and polish of an old-style Broadway musical but with a contemporary awareness that could slip into cynicism if it weren’t for the play’s tremendous heart. Erik Johnke has written an airtight book with not even one moment where you sneak a peak at your watch. All his characters – even the villain - are three-dimensional – and likeable. We even like Tom after he steals James’ newspaper and tries to woo his gal. Johnke’s lyrics pack a punch as well as delight the ear – also true of the wonderful score by Elaine Chelton, whose sweeping sounds blends Irish music with Broadway melodies into soaring ballads, honky-tonk riffs and resounding jigs.

 

The marvelous ensemble cast of nine pulls it all off too. Nick Cartell (James Watson) carries the lead role with subtle dexterity, not by overpowering but by supporting his fellow cast members. Lulu Lloyd (Kathleen Cahill) brings a playful joy and delicate vulnerability to her Kathleen. Chuck Bradley (Tom Killian) lets his voice and commanding presence take you by surprise, just as Tom’s powerful take-over took James by surprise. Megan Kane (Sarah/Ensemble) has that spunky ageless honey-throated voice that I especially like, adding even more reason to enjoy the large company numbers. And the designers outdid themselves with their evocative sets, lighting and wardrobe. Kudos to director Craig J. George for this seamless production.

 

God’s Country only suffers from having too much on its plate – a love story becomes a classic love triangle, a buddy tale leads to betrayal, a mother/son drama dovetails with father/daughter angst, an Englishman in New York becomes the publisher of the first Irish newspaper, Irish v. English conflict morphs into Catholic v. Protestant warfare (a truthful morph as many feel the former was indeed the breeding ground for the latter) and the woman who rails against men ends up with two of them. None of these storylines lets you down but none is allowed the time to build to the point of stirring deep emotions either. At one point, it feels as though James’ pronounced objective at the play’s start – to find his mother – has been lost. But what keeps God’s Country from losing its way is that the book’s central theme runs deeper than simple adoption blues. At the core of the play is James’ search for identity and quest for truth. Ironically in order to escape the lies of his childhood (his father they gave him everything – “except the truth”), James ends up living a lie as “Patrick McIreland” – a false identity that rivals that of Don Draper – and falls in love with a girl with “trust issues” – an irony that’s underscored in James’ and Kathleen’s lyrical duet, An Honest Man.

 

Above all else - there’s gravitas to this tale – perhaps because so much Irish-American history has been built into this dense fiction. So while it’s highly entertaining, this play is hardly fluff. It’s a story born of a rich deep history of unimaginable pain and indomitable spirit as captured in the show’s title song, God’s Country:

 

Why the hell did we come here?

What did we leave Ireland for?

What good is all this freedom,

If we’re always at war?

 

GOD’S COUNTRY – an original musical by Erik Johnke (Book and Lyrics) and Elaine Chelton (Music), Directed by Craig J. George.

 

WITH: Chuck Bradley (Tom Killian), Nick Cartell (James Watson), Jody Cook (Solomon McCreedy/Ensemble), Victoria Huston-Elem (Marion/Ensemble), Megan Kane (Sarah/Ensemble), Charles Levy (Foreman/Ensemble), Lulu Lloyd (Kathleen Cahill), Rob Lorey (Joe Cahill/Mr. Watson/Ensemble), and JP Qualters (Seamus O’Hanlon/Ensemble). Sets by Jonathan Collins. Period costumes by Claire Aquila. Lighting by Richard Tatum. Casting by Cindi Rush Casting.

 

God's Country will be presented at the 10th Annual New York Music Theatre Festival (NYMF) for five performances starting on Thursday, July 18, at 9:00 PM, at The Pershing Square Signature Center Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre, 480 West 42nd Street. The musical is directed by Craig J. George and choreographed by Thomas-Sabella Mills. The Music Director is Bryan L. Wade. The other four performances will take place on Sunday, July 21, at 1:00 and 5:00 PM; Tuesday, July 23 at 9:00 PM, and Wednesday, July 24, at 5:00 PM. To purchase tickets by phone, call OvationTix at 212-352-3101. On line, visit: www.nymf.org and visit the 2013 Events Page.