Milwaukee Chamber Theater ends the year with a world premiere of The Daly News, a musical written by local actor and playwright Jonathan Gillard Daly. The tuner is based on the Daly family's real-life experiences during World War II. Daly's grandfather, a man who died before Jon was born, carefully chronicled the events at home and abroad during the war in a weekly family letter he called, "The Daly News." Each "edition" updated family members on the lives of four Daly boys, all of whom served their country during World War II. The family also had a daughter, Kate, who is barely mentioned in the musical.
The story focuses primarily on the relationship between fathers and sons. Three male actors play all the characters, both male and female, an approach that works better in some scenes than others. Two of the actors, Jeff Schaetzke and Jack Forbes Wilson, are talented singers and musicians as well. Forbes has the edge here because he is a topnotch pianist. An onstage piano provides him with ample opportunity to "tickle the ivories," as they might say in the 1940s.
The third performer is Daly himself. This is a key ingredient of the musical's success, as Daly portrays his own parents as well as his grandfather. One wonders if this note of authenticity could be replicated in other productions of The Daly News that wouldn't contain Daly in the cast.
The musical's score captures the generally upbeat beat of the 1940s, from boogie-woogie to ballads. There seem to be dozens of songs (none of which is named in the program), with most of them pleasant, if not memorable. The score's highlight is a comedy number involving all three actors. They are drinking in an officer's club, and the song emanates from their frustrations. It's a tongue-in-cheek song that evokes comparisons to "Gee, I Wish I was Back in the Army," from the film, "White Christmas."
The Daly News manages to engage the audience even though nothing particularly eventful happens to the Daly sons (i.e., there's no drama). None of them die, or is wounded in combat, or is decorated for feats of heroism. However, the musical wisely draws attention to everyone else who shares in the war experience: parents worrying about the welfare of their children, war brides who barely have a few days with their new husbands before they march off, and younger boys who can't wait to join up and "get in the action." (In the meantime, they apparently grouse about wartime shortages).
Although the all-male cast does its best to give justice to the women's roles, the musical sorely needs an actress. For instance, it would drive home the conflicting emotions felt by Daly's grandmother as she sends four sons to war (in this production, Daly poses as his own grandmother). Otherwise, The Daly News is a pleasing, patriotic trip down memory lane for those who recall their own World War II experiences. It reflects the strength of families, and of communities, that came together to face the hardships of those years.
The production values are adequate but not overpowering for a 100-seat theater. Creating the show's intimacy is more important than lavish scenery and gorgeous costumes.
Jonathan Gillard Daly
