During
the 2004 presidential election, Ray Roderick and his colleague
James Hindman listened to all the talk about family values, and
they got an idea.
"All you heard was 'family this, family
that'. Everyone's family is wackier than the next," Roderick
said. "I can't even get my family together for dinner.
I don't know what you mean by family values. Let's explain
the definition of family today. Let's throw four talented actors
up there who can show you your own family in a heightened,
funny way."
They interviewed people about their families,
used some of their own stories, sought and received some anecdotes
on the Internet and wrote "Are We There Yet?" The
show, with lyrics by Cheryl Stern and music by John Glaudini,
comes to CityStage Wednesday through Jan. 29. Roderick directs
the show, which is produced by their company, Miracle or 2
Productions.
Speaking over the telephone from his office
in New York, Roderick called the show a musical comedy with
sketches a la "Saturday Night Live" and a format
similar to a show that previously played at CityStage, "I
Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change."
The cast - Susan Haefner, Kevin Pariseau,
Duke Lafoon and Beverly Ward - play a range of characters from
an infant to an 80-year-old retiree in Florida. The music and
choreography encompasses many styles.
"The show takes you chronologically through
life in a loose way," Roderick said. "We wanted to
deal with birth, school, sports, divorce, fathers and daughters,
adoption, pets, mothers and fathers ... There's a song that
goes, 'Your parents push your buttons because they put them
there.' We also dealt with money, this need to keep up with
the Joneses, inheritance, sexuality and also loss, illness
and death."
Although comedy abounds, he said they also
touch on serious subjects.
"There's a monologue that deals with
Alzheimer's and one that deals with leaving the family nest
after 25 years of living at home. These are very real, very
poignant," he said.
"It celebrates the family and points
out how absurd our lives are with our families. By holding
a mirror up to the audience in this way, it allows the audience
to laugh at themselves and remind themselves that at the end
of the day we're all in it together."
He said the title became a metaphor for life.
"You get the kids to college, and you
ask, 'Are we there yet?' I saved for my retirement, 'Are we
there yet?' Every time you think you've hit that big landmark
on the road through life, there's another hill to get over.
You're never going to feel like you've arrived, but let's enjoy
the ride."
Roderick said the show, which has played in
about a dozen theaters, is geared toward a general audience.
"There's not a dirty word in the show.
A lot of the shows from New York are edgy," he said. "We
wanted to write a show that would be right for the demographic
across the country. We wanted to strike a universal nerve."
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