A Wicked Soul in Cherry Hill
Reviewed by Deborah Klugman
Geffen Playhouse
Thru July 24
There are many things to like about A Wicked Soul in Cherry Hill, a musical by composer/lyricist Matt Schatz that was developed in a writers’ workshop at Geffen Playhouse, where the production now runs through July 24. A lively upbeat score (performed on stage by a five-member band, musical direction/orchestration by Scott Anthony), clever lyrics that tell a good story, and a well-disciplined ensemble under Mike Donahue’s very able direction are among the production’s strengths.
At the same time, Wicked Soul carries ethical baggage — or perhaps one should say unethical, depending on one’s perspective. That’s because the narrative is based on a real-life crime that took place in 1994: the murder of Carol Neulander, the wife of a well-liked, well-respected rabbi in quiet, suburban Cherry Hill, New Jersey, home to a strong, close-knit Jewish community. What made the crime so sordid was that it was planned and paid for by the rabbi, Fred Neulander, himself, who wanted to be free to marry his mistress. And what makes the production so controversial is that the three adult children of Carol Neulander and her homicidal spouse had asked that the production not be mounted, calling themselves “saddened and dismayed” at the prospect. In addition to the family, Drew Molotsky, the current president of Congregation M’kor Shalom, the congregation Fred Neulander once presided over, also voiced objections.“This is our history. It involves our friends and our community, and it is very serious to us. To make light of it or to exploit it for entertainment value is not something we will ever condone.” https://news.yahoo.com/cherry-hill-synagogue-president-blasts-224247430.html.
In response, the Geffen tempered its advance advertorial, deleting that part of the text which described the show as written “with humor and chutzpah.”
It goes without saying that “humor and chutzpah“ are hardly apt to describe the events which precipitated this musical, the details of which are as twisty and ironically cruel as anything a writer of fiction might devise. For example: The murdered woman was on the phone with her daughter when her assassins knocked on the door. A paramedic subsequently summoned to the scene of the crime happened to be one of her sons. And (talk about drama!), according to one of her attackers, who confessed, the bewildered victim’s final utterance was “Why?!” before she collapsed on the floor to her death.
Schatz’s account, relayed entirely in song, is performed by six actors who take on multiple roles, including members of the congregation who are stunned and devastated when they learn that the wife of their beloved rabbi has been bludgeoned to death in her home. After an opening group number, the chronological story begins, starting with Fred (Danny Rothman) and Carol (Jill Sobule as the mature Carol)’s early courtship, then covering the early years of Fred’s career as a rabbi when his down-to-earth manner attracted youth and his good looks and personal charisma attracted women. Later, we arrive at events surrounding the crime: Fred’s affair with a Philadelphia radio personality (Zehra Fasal), whom he seduces while counseling following her husband’s death; his lover’s impatience with the relationship; his recruitment of a worshipful “friend” (Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper) to commit the murder; the night of the crime (gory particulars omitted); and the subsequent attempts by authorities and an investigative journalist (Rivkah Reyes) to nail Neulander for what they rightly suspect he is guilty of. (Historically, it took four years to gather enough evidence to indict this guy, and another four before he was finally convicted and sentenced to life in prison.)
Buoyed by the band — most especially, to my ear, Nicole Marcus on drums and Xenia Deviatkiba-Loh on strings, the show moves at a clipped pace. One criticism that might rightly be given of the format is that it leaves little room for depth; despite that, several actors do a very good job of relaying their characters’ essence with a few elemental gestures: among them, Rothman as the slick rabbi and Mongiardo-Cooper, who is most impressive as the rabbi’s assassin-for-hire, a fantasist and recovering alcoholic who eagerly does what he’s told until, somehow, he’s jolted awake to the terribleness of his act. As Carol’s grieving son, Jahbril Cook’s rendering of “Song of a Son” captures this musical’s most affecting moment.
From a technical standpoint, things hang together. Besides their multiple roles, the ensemble is tasked with smoothly maneuvering scenic designer Alexander Woodward’s various set pieces that neatly suggest changes in time and place. Josh Epstein’s lighting adds texture, and Kathryn Burns’ well-executed choreography contributes to the animated quality of the evening.
Still, you can’t help pondering just how appropriate it is to have chronicled Carol Neulander’s tragedy in such a buoyant way (A photograph distributed in the local newspapers after the murder shows a smiling lady with kind eyes). Were the topic Lizzie Borden, or some other mythic or historic figure long dead, as in Sondheim’s Assassins, it might be different. Here, the playmakers — writer and producers — have plucked from the headlines a story that still painfully burns in the memory of those who’ve survived it — a story, moreover, about an individual who played man of God, yet remorselessly engaged in this evil act. That’s surely a human drama worthy of exploration in depth, as opposed to a frothy, albeit well-done, musical whose prime purpose is entertainment.
Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Westwood; Tues.-Fri., 8 pm; Sat., 2 & 8 pm; Sun., 3 pm & 7 pm; thru July 24. www.geffenplayhouse.org. Running time: approximately 85 minutes with no intermission.
