By Megan Larson
While celebrating Pride with my LGBTQ+ friends this month, it was so fun to see The Good Company Theatre’s production of The View Upstairs in Ogden. It gave me the opportunity to learn more about how far the LGBTQ+ community has come, but to also be reminded that there are a lot of things they are still fighting for in the present day.
The View Upstairs is a musical with music and lyrics by Matt Vernon and is based off of the horrific 1973 arson attack at The Upstairs Lounge, a gay bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans, LA. It’s the story of Wes (John Patrick McKenna), a fashion designer from New York in 2019, who impulsively buys a run-down space in hopes of turning it into a boutique. In doing so, he is transported back to a gay bar in 1973. Here he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, where he gets to know the unforgettable queer characters at this bar and discover that they are a diverse- and even religious- community that is accepting of everyone who enters.
This musical begins with an engaging opening number “Some Kind of Paradise” played by the bar’s resident ‘piano man,’ Buddy (Paul Naylor), who is soon joined by the groovy ensemble that will warm you up to the glamorous rock score. Naylor effortlessly plays the chords without skipping a single note as he sings with the ensemble. Immediately following this number, a realtor convinces Wes to buy this old abandoned building. McKenna seamlessly portrays Wes’s character as he learns that the people in this gay bar aren’t impressed by how many followers he has on Instagram, and scrambles to find some other way to prove himself to them as an individual. McKenna also blew me away with his gorgeous vibrato and intonation in “#householdname.” In the following number, “Lost and Found?”, bartender Henri (Yoah Kristine) knocks the audience’s socks off with her stellar vocal runs, and continues to do so throughout the rest of the performance. Soon after, Patrick (Riley French), a local hustler, takes an interest in Wes, and they soon fall in love. McKenna and French have insanely adorable chemistry and their voices blend incredibly well during their duet in “Crazy Notion”.
As Wes gets to know these vibrant queer characters, a few seem to leave the audience in absolute awe. These include Inez (Myra Peltier), a Puerto Rican mother and her fabulous drag queen son Freddy (Taylor Knuth). Peltier’s and Knuth’s interactions will keep you laughing through the entire show, especially with Knuth’s impromptu drag performance; they will also melt your heart with their unconditional love for each other, especially in the song “The Most Important Thing” despite some flaws in pitch. Another character who steals the show is Willie (Jeffrey Kay), a middle-aged queen who keeps the audience chuckling with her sassy remarks. Kay slays the stage with his flawlessly smooth vocal runs in “Theme Song”.
Director Robert Scott Smith effectively bonds the ensemble in order to portray the accepting community that these queer characters created at the Upstairs Lounge. Every single time the ensemble joins in on a song, the harmonies are spot on and gave me goosebumps, thanks to Music Director Ginger Bess Simons. The band’s accompanying the cast has no flaws to be heard, however, sometimes I couldn’t hear the actors over the instruments. The set is appropriate for the time period and extremely detailed, successfully creating the shabby-looking bar thanks to the Set Design Crew, alongside the simple, but perfect lighting design by Marley Keith. The costumes, provided by The Washington Women, are colorful, sparkly and stylish in all the right ways that bring the characters to life.
The Good Company Theatre’s The View Upstairs leaves the audience with the reminder that despite the progress our country has made in accepting the LGBTQ+ community; devastating hate crimes, poverty, and inequality are still prevalent in our culture and society. It leaves us with the message that even though sometimes we may feel like the world is ending, the most important thing we can do is to love each other, no matter how different we are. Head up to Ogden and see this poignant, relevant show.
Note: for those coming to the GCT for the first time, you can take Frontrunner and the stop is right across the street. Parking for those who drove is behind the theater.
This musical is only suitable for teens and up due to mature language and subject matter.
The Good Company Theatre Presents The View Upstairs written by Matt Vernon.
The Good Company Theatre, 2404 Wall Avenue, Ogden, UT 84401
June 9, 15-16, 23 4:00-5:45 PM, June 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 8:00-9:45 PM
Tickets: $20 can be purchased at the box office or from this link.
Contact: 801-917-4969
The Good Company Facebook Page
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