It took a while, but Safety Not Guaranteed, the new musical based on the 2012 indie cult film now playing at BAM’s Harvey Theater, gradually grew on me. By the end of its intermissionless hour and 45 minutes, I was rooting for its quirky characters to find resolution and/or romance. Nick Blaemire’s book, based on Derek Connolly’s screenplay, is initially too slick for its own good with one-liners and weird traits substituting for character development. But as the seemingly silly plot progresses, the outlandish sci-fi elements and too-cool-for-school quips fall away to reveal a compassionate story of loneliness and alienation.
The catchy score by Ryan Miller of the alt-rock band Guster is full of infectious tunes and intricate lyrics (I loved rhyming “the rainbow vanishes” with “twenty dollar sandwiches” to convey dashed dreams turning into adult money concerns.)
A capsule summation sounds like a goofy teen comedy. Rookie journalist Darius (powerful Nkeki Obi-Melekwe) finds a bizarre classified ad seeking a partner to go time-traveling. “This is not a joke,” the ad reads, “Bring your own weapons.” She smells a story and gets the OK to investigate from her cynical editor Jeff (sharply funny Pomme Koch). But, for ulterior reasons, he insists on accompanying her to the small town where the ad originated, along with laptop-obsessed office drone Arnau (Rohan Kymal, displaying hidden depths.)
The trio finds the placer of the ad, the off-center Kenneth (endearingly weird Taylor Trench) and we’re off on a strange ride through conspiracy theories, broken hearted backstories, teenage trauma, and adult angst. Ashley Perez Flanagan and John-Michael Lyles ably complete the cast in multiple supporting roles including love interests for the hard-bitten Jeff and the shy, gay Arnau.
Lee Sunday Evans’s smart staging smoothly moves the story like a movie, transitioning through multiple locations, with the aide of Krit Robinson’s suggestive scenic design which features a plethora of witty set pieces including a fragment of a water tower to place us in Kenneth’s tiny town and a restaurant booth which could be found in Any Diner, USA. Reza Behjat’s versatile lighting also aides in the swift and fluid movement of the story.
The rock score helps propel and comment on the action. One of Miller’s songs, “One Man Wrecking Machine” was composed for his band Guster, but fits in with the plot nicely. Music director Cynthia Meng and the orchestra produce a spirited accompaniment with Drew Levy’s sound design finding the perfect balance between rock-concert volume (not too high) and lyric comprehension (not too low).
Obi-Melekwe displays a mighty rock voice and skillfully peels back Darius’s tough exterior to expose the vulnerable, broken girl underneath. Likewise Trensch delivers a multi-layered performance as the whacky Kenneth. Sporting a Chaplin-esque mustache and cute winter hat with ear-flaps, Trensch garners guffaws with a delightfully physical interpretation of Kenneth’s kooky obsessions. He also breaks our heart as we discover the source of his nutty time travel fantasies—but are they all in his head? (No spoilers.)
Koch also digs deep into his role, giving Jeff a nasty side, but also a soft center once his illusions of an idealized adolescence are shattered. Kymal is fun to watch as Arnau comes out of his shell and becomes a “Wolf Robot” on the dance floor. Perez Flanagan and Lyles give full life to the many supporting roles. Safety Not Guaranteed is more than a science fiction adventure, it’s a rousing rock musical and a moving story rolled together.
