A Class Act

Porchlight Music Theatre at Theater Wit, Chicago

(773) 975-8150

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Edward Kleban deserved a second chance at fame, said Hedy Weiss in the Chicago Sun-Times. The Tony-winning lyricist of A Chorus Line, Kleban mostly labored at his craft in obscurity before his death, in 1987, at age 48. A decade later, his longtime companion, Linda Kline, teamed with Lonny Price to use the “clever, gem-like, deeply heartfelt songs” Kleban left behind to anchor a bio-play celebrating his tumultuous life. The challenges of songwriting for the stage are, in the musical’s Chicago premiere, “beautifully rendered in shorthand form.” Yet it’s Bill Larkin’s portrayal of Kleban that “makes the whole thing explode with life.” He “seizes hold of the composer-lyricist’s soul in the most uncanny way,” capturing the many complexities of this angst-ridden artist.

The show’s success depends, ultimately, on whether Kleban’s artistic and personal trials feeluniversal enough, said Chris Jones in the Chicago Tribune. Happily, they do. “By the end of the night, whether you’re a bricklayer or a trader, you’ll surely see yourself in Kleban’s struggles in life and love.” This is due less to the sometimes spotty dialogue than to Kleban’s “gorgeous” music. Musicals celebrating a songwriter are usually greatest-hits collections, but A Class Act is “about the discovery of songs you don’t know.” Though you’ve probably never heard the tunes “I Choose You” or “The Next Best Thing to Love,” their “inherent sense of longing” and “desire to make sense of the world” will linger in your memory long after the last curtain. Perhaps Edward Kleban wasn’t a one-hit wonder after all.