Backed by Hollywood and recording-industry money, it's obvious that The Gift has its sights set on a commercial triumph far exceeding its Equity-waiver origins. The producers have assembled a top notch cast, many of whom worked with the show's director on his previous outing, the camp musical Reefer Madness whose local success is taking it to New York this fall. But with everything it has going for it, The Gift has some major problems which might just keep it from becoming another Reefer.
With a book by screenwriter Robbie ("I Married An Axe Murderer") Fox and music by his cousin Steve, The Gift follows the fortunes of five guys who meet at Northwestern University in 1985. It would be hard to imagine a more callow, less sympathetic bunch. Don (Robert Torti) is a slick, shark-like operator destined to become a movie producer; Travis (James Barbour) is a dim witted would-be country-western singer; Teddy (John Kassir) is a cliche nebbishy Jew; Mark (Burke Moses) is a closet homosexual; Lance (Larry Poindexter) is a greedy, ruthless scoundrel. Obsessed as they are with sex, drugs and money, full of self-doubt and self-pity, it's hard to care much about these quintessential yuppies until deep into the story, when an awareness of their own mortality jolts them into becoming better human beings.
This coming of age is triggered by their relationship to a high priced call girl, Elektra (Alicia Witt, in an assured stage debut), who is our narrator and guide through a picaresque tale spanning fifteen years. Elektra is Don's "gift" to his old frat-house buddies when they meet for a reunion at his Malibu mansion in the mid-90s. By then they have been collectively through bad love affairs, failed marriages, disappointing careers and scrapes with the law. The topper comes when, after having slept with Elektra, they learn she is suffering from an AIDS-like disease. While awaiting the medical verdict -- are they infected or not? -- they go through a lot of soul-searching and truth-telling that makes them finally grow up and appreciate life's true gift -- life itself. The Foxes take their time in reaching this point. The first act of The Gift contains eleven songs and runs an hour and a half; the second act has seven songs and is a bit shorter. Some of the songs are first-rate, even inspired; others are merely effective.
Cutting and trimming would help this show greatly and someone should pay attention to the flawed sound system which crackled and whined almost every time the miked actors tried to deliver an aria. What a pity, because there are a lot of fine voices in this spirited, well-directed cast.
