To See or Not to See: In Transit

Set your jaded New Yorker heart aside and fully enjoy Broadway’s first a cappella musical, In Transit. It’s a universal truth that New Yorkers have a slightly gruffer exterior so the rosy and bright story that In Transit paints attempts to chip that away. So, although, In Transit is comprised of cliché characters and predictable situations, it does have a cute, fun charm to it.

In Transit begins (and ends) in a romanticized subway station in New York. Boxman (Steven “HeaveN” Cantor) is a busker in the station who plays the role of the “wise” man that counsels and aids the other characters in the show. Jane (Margo Seibert) is a 33-year old office temp who is an aspiring actress. Nate (James Snyder) is a former Wall Streeter who, after emailing the entire company something he shouldn’t have, now finds himself scrounging for jobs at Staples. Trent (Justin Guarini) is Jane’s agent and engaged to Steven (Telly Leung). Of course, Trent is from Texas, and his mother does not know he’s in a relationship with a man. Then, there’s Ali (Erin Mackey). She’s been dumped by the med student she moved to New York City to be with so she’s kind of breaking down. Finally, there are the supporting characters ranging from family to MTA workers (variously played by Nicholas Ward, Moya Angela, David Abeles, Mariand Torres, and Gerianne Perez). All of these people it turns out, of course, are connected in some way. It is a story device that has been used many times before so it lacks the element of surprise it may have once garnered.

Despite the predictability of how it all turns out, the joy of In Transit is in the performances. The cast does a great job of making their characters relatable and endearing. Everyone knows the feeling of not knowing where you’re going, or how to get where you want to be so as we watch each character struggle with that, you find yourself nodding in agreement. Not only were there well-done tender and vulnerable moments (Justin Guarini’s rendition of “Choosing Not to Know” or Margo Seibert’s “Getting There”), but there were also several perfectly-done comedic moments (a wonderful Nicholas Ward leading the hilarious number “Wingman”, or Erin Mackey agonizing over her ex in “Saturday Night Obsession”). Additionally, the vocal work—percussive beats, mechanical noises, and everything in between—of Steven “HeaveN” Cantor as Boxman is jaw-dropping. All together, these exuberant performances really make the show fun to watch.

While the performances were strong, the music and story (written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan, and Sara Wordsworth) could have been improved a bit. Running at just over an hour and a half with no intermission, In Transit felt a tad too long. Even though some of the “wink-nudge-you’re in on this New York experience” type moments and jokes were cute, there were some that did not service the story and could have been cut (like the enjoyable yet unnecessary song “Keep It Goin’”, or the pizza rat gag). In general, the music sounded very similar throughout the show despite the range of genres that were utilized. The fact that the whole thing was done in a cappella (and done smoothly and quite well) is really the standout musical component of In Transit.

While In Transit may not be a perfect show, it is delightful to watch. It will, in fact, leave you with a smile on your face, and that, sometimes, is all you need.

In Transit is at the Circle in the Square Theater. Buy tickets here.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus