44 – The Musical

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Saturday Night Live has made political satire look easy and has a lot to answer for. 44 – The Musical written, composed and directed by Eli Bauman, who worked on the Obama campaign in Las Vegas in 2008, has created this slight parody of the 44^th president’s first term. While the show is slickly produced, the writing is lazy continually using much vulgar language – the f-word is generously sprinkled throughout the dialogue and repeated in its songs whose names are not spelled out in the program – and the satire only takes on the most clichéd items. As none of the talented cast looks or sounds like the real people they are playing, we need to keep reminding ourselves who they are.

44 – The Musical written in the form of a musical revue is like an SNL skit dragged out to two hours (not including the intermission) and could be trimmed a great deal. The too loud R&B songs might be melodic but as they all sound much the same, it is hard to tell how good they are except for a very few soft ballads. The show uses Chad Doreck as a youthful Joe Biden (“Benjamin Buttoning”) as a narrator telling his “hazy recollections” to “bring you the kinda sorta truth.” Starting with the Democratic Convention of 2004, the show proceeds through the highs and lows of Obama’s first term including the killing of Bin Laden and the Sandy Hook School massacre, but not much on Health Care, a major part of his platform. Aside from First Lady Michelle Obama, we meet many of the famous political figures of the era. Both Obama and Michelle played by T. J. Wilkins and Shanice are reduced in their dialogue to clichés and vulgarisms which do not so much parody them but demean, as it does all of the other characters.

Unfortunately, they are all rather one dimensional, reduced to one trait each which is would be fine for a five minute skit but palls when stretched over an entire evening. Hillary Clinton (played by Jenna Pastuszek) is reduced to an embittered woman still awaiting “My Turn.” Sarah Palin (Summer Collins) is defined by porn star Lisa Ann’s parody of her as a pole dancer here enacted in the song “Drill Me Baby.” Obama’s loyal opposition is organized as W.H.A.M. (White Hetero Affluent Men) run by a jewelry-hung Mitch McConnell (Larry Cedar), an easily led follower Ted Cruz (Michael Uribes) and a parasol and fan carrying Lindsey Graham (Jeff Sumner). To fill out their number, they invite former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Black entrepreneur Herman Cain (Dino Shorté) to join them, and then have to keep explaining their presence.

As written and directed in the leading roles Wilkins is rather stolid as Obama while Shanice is reduced to a sexy help mate as Michelle. Doreck simply plays Biden as a frat house jester. All have terrific voices but not anything important to sing. The other roles are simply broad parodies that never reveal their importance in American politics.

Some of the songs have a bit of satire in them like “Red States Blue States” and “How Black is Too Black?” but others like “What Would Liam Neeson Do?” are completely extraneous. Ironically, the best rendered songs are those quoted from other composers, “Amazing Grace” and “America the Beautiful,” which only show up the new ones. The voices are excellent particularly the powerful Summer Nicole Greer as the Voice of the People, but such songs as “M.F.O.” praising Obama and “F.U.T.C.” cursing Ted Cruz repeat words that cannot be printed in a family oriented publication so often that they grow tiresome and lose their shock value. Ted Cruz’s reading of Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham” on the Senate floor as part of the song “Filibusters” is amusing but not much is done with it with afterwards.

The set by Julio Himede of Yellow Studio is a colorful representation of the Oval Office with a large screen for video on the back wall and niches on either side for portraits of great Americans that keep changing (George Washington becomes Hillary Clinton, etc.) Matthew Hemesath’s often outrageous costumes are more satiric than the writing of the show. Lighting designers Nathan W. Scheuer and Natali Arco change the colors for each song giving them more effect that the actual staging.

While Eli Bauman has been successful as both a singer and a television writer, this appears to be his first musical. He seems to have bit off more than he can chew (including as host at the beginning and end of the show) and would have been better off with a director other than himself for an editor and another pair of eyes. 44 – The Musical has a few funny moments but is neither a tribute to the 44^th president nor a memorable contribution to satiric theater. Those who are indiscriminating in their comedy might enjoy what it offers; those who like sophisticated entertainments are better off staying away. The R-rated language is such that it cannot appear on radio or television.

44 – The Musical (through January 4, 2026)

The Daryl Roth Theatre, 101 E. 15^th Street, in Manhattan

For tickets, call 212-239-6210 or visit http://www.telecharge.com

Running time: two hours and 20 minutes including one intermission