Car Talk: The Musical! (courtesy berkshireonstage.com)
Written and Directed by Wesley Savick, professor at Suffolk University, Car Talk: The Musical is a fast-paced comedic musical adaptation of NPR’s long running radio show Car Talk, hosted ‘Click and Clack, the Tappet brothers’ (Tom and Ray Magliozzi) which has aired on Saturday mornings on NPR since 1987. The goofy plot pokes fun at the clichés of Broadway Theater, referencing The Wizard of Oz, West Side Story, Chicago, Hair, and pretty much every other musical you have (or have not) seen. The plot follows Rusty Fenders (aka Randy), an overweight, studio-apartment dwelling, divorcee who’s only love in life is his ‘Pride’ – a decrepit and unreliable Kia, and his stable and caring co-worker, Sheila B. Goodfew who is secretly in love with him. Randy is forced to decide between Sheila and Miata C. LaChassis, a sexy younger woman (or sports car depending on your interpretation) in his quest for a loving relationship (or a new car, again depending on interpretation). In a parallel plot, randy is faced with the dilemma of how to get his Kia fixed and ends up seeing the ‘wizard of cars’, an embodiment of the Tappet brothers on their radio show.
Although the plot is (intentionally) silly, cliché, predictable, and ultimately forgettable, this show is spectacular. Well acted, the sets are amazing (especially considering that this is a community theater) and the costumes (especially the ‘wizard of cars’ are outstanding.) Although 90 minutes in length with no intermission, you will be laughing so hard it is over before you notice. My one disappointment with the show was that, despite its name and association with its namesake NPR show, Car Talk has very little to do with cars. One of the charms of the radio show is its ability to discuss, in technical detail, a variety of mechanical and electrical automotive problems, thereby appealing to car nerds and engineers, while maintaining appeal to a general audience. This charm was noticeably absent in the musical which, despite being set in an automotive garage, concerns the creation and maintenance of human relationships, not automobiles.
Time: Through Sep. 15
Location: 450 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA (Central Square Theater)
Price: $20-$50
Contact: CentralSquareTheater.org
By Matthew D’Asaro