Salvage, which takes place in a rundown, out-of-the-way saloon, might have been called "The Second Chance Saloon" because that’s what this terrific little musical is all about, second chances. The first character we meet is Preacher (David Atkinson), a burnt-out, whiskey-swilling musician who sits hunched over his guitar singing a song called, “I’m So Tired of it All.” It’s a sad song but it quickly and tunefully encapsulates the play’s theme. Johnson (Leonard Earl Howze) is next up, a big, burly, mean-spirited bartender. He doesn’t sing, but he does command the stage with his booming voice and angry, cynical remarks. Obviously he hates his job and has soured on life. Things lighten up considerably when a young man named Harley (Christopher Fordinal) enters and expresses delight at being here, the bar where his hero Floyd Whitaker hung out (and died). Floyd, we learn, was a local boy who became a famous country-western singer, right up there with Hank Williams and Willie Nelson. Harley is a guitar-carrying musician himself, and to honor Floyd he sits down and sings “Walking the Blues”…and kills it. That’s when we know the show is going to be something special. It’s rare to encounter musicians who can not only sing well but act well. A fourth character shows up later, Harley’s pregnant wife Destiny (Nina Herzog), and guess what? She sings the hell out of two songs, too, “Everything is Alright” and “Outrun the Wind.” The story first-time playwright Tim Alderson tells is a gritty one. Preacher and Johnson have hit rock-bottom and have given up on their dreams. And for all his enthusiasm and delight at finding himself on hallowed ground, Harley is ready to give up on his dreams, as well. The struggle to survive as a musician has just been a losing one; he’ll never make enough to live on, he fears, especially now that he’s going to become a father. His next stop is a pawn shop where he intends to hock his beloved guitar. The one hopeful, optimistic character in Salvage is Destiny. It’s her spirit and spunk, which are undeterred by certain big, shocking revelations, which give Harley—and even Preacher—the strength to keep on keepin’ on. Salvage is the best original musical I’ve seen in some time. I was caught up in its spell and moved by its scintillating songs and performances. Don’t miss this one.
