REVIEW: The Light Chasers
A nerd-irfic delight!
When I saw that THE LIGHT CHASERS had two directors (Andrew Hungerford, who also wrote the book, and Jess Hutchinson) and two assistant directors (AJ Baldwin and Becca Anderson), I thought there might be too many cooks in the kitchen. Maybe the vision of what the show should be would be scattered or unfocused. I also thought that a brand new musical featuring students from CCM Acting - talented, of course, but not known for their work in musical theatre - might be too risky to pull off successfully.
My concerns were unfounded.
This is Andrew Hungerford’s last show as Artistic Director at Know Theatre. And I would argue that this might be his greatest triumph on stage in his tenure. It’s at least a great capstone to a long run at the helm of Cincinnati’s theatrical playground. The direction was especially tight and focused, with almost perfect pacing and clear storytelling.
On the surface, THE LIGHT CHASERS tells the story of Nic, whose father is on a top-secret space mission that has taken him away for many years. She misses him desperately and uses her scientific genius to try to reconnect with him. But it’s actually a story about grief and family, and despite all the physics talk, the show has tremendous heart.
Hungerford’s passion project is based on an orchestral rock album from one of his favorite bands. In his touching post-show toast, he said that he DM’d the composer on Patreon with an outline for the show—and luckily, it was well received, and he was given the green light to produce this world premiere.
Technically, as we’ve come to expect, this show shines. The props, projections, lights, and set all accentuate the story. Noelle Wedig-Johnston’s costumes are especially functional and clever. L. Lucia Duque’s choreography is inspired, and the cast executes it beautifully. Rob Stark’s orchestrations are pleasant to the ear, and his musical direction does its best to highlight the strong voices in the cast and minimize those who are better suited for straight plays.
The adults in the show are played by James Creque (the Pilot), one of my favorite actors, who always delivers nuance and subtext in his understated performances. Sarah Summerwell is effective and strong as “Chris.” Her singing voice is full of vibrato and strength. Montez O. Jenkins-Copeland is believable as both a teacher and Captain.
The CCM Acting students, though, are the MVPs of this production. Gabi Adams as “Nic” is infinitely watchable. You root for her even when her methods are questionable because she believes in what she’s doing - and we feel that, too. Carson Mehlbauer (“Ellis”) is her new friend; his sweet loyalty and enthusiasm are infectious. Nico Graves’s “Charlie” is confident, bold, and multi-layered. Lilia Villaflor, Staylie Brunner, Evan Kupersmith, and Cassandra Reeves round out a hilarious ensemble, all of whom can sing very well! Kupersmith plays also plays keytar while Reeves plays violin on stage! (I thought Reeves had some scene-stealing moments, and I can’t wait to see more from her.)
THE LIGHT CHASERS is a solid new work featuring honest acting, surprising vocals, focused direction, and an interesting story that intrigued me from start to finish. I highly recommend it; Hungerford should be very proud of this capstone to his Know career.
THE LIGHT CHASERS, a co-production with CCM Acting, runs at Know Theatre through April 28th. Tickets featuring various pricing tiers can be found here.