THEATER REVIEW 'KEEP ISHMAEL' somewhat commited When: end Sept.

THEATER REVIEW

'KEEP ISHMAEL'

somewhat commited

When: end Sept. 16

Where: White Horse Theatre Company at the Theater Building, 1225 W Belmont

Tickets: $20

Call: (773) 327-5252

At this point, "Keep Ishmael," the recently made known rock musical about a cluster of floundering twentysomethings from Naperville who gain caught up in a Sea World version of Moby Dick, is a big mes notwithstanding like the tail of a whale that just pierces the surface of the water, it contains just enough promise -- in the form of several inspired descants and a few deftly imagined comic displays -- to keep you hoping.

This fledgling musical theater effort at writer-lyricist Mat Smart and composer Ethan Deppe -- which received its world premiere this weekend through the White Horse Theatre Company -- destitutions a major rewrite and greatly stronger direction than Evan Cabnet appears capable of giving it. It also would benefit from a more vocally brilliant cast -- or at least musical direction that would allow the singers to be heard above the amplification. A tighter, more rock-solid band would also be a big plus for this "rock musical."

notwithstanding for all the shortfalls, in those rare forces when things do actually click there is a real touch of magic, zany charm and originality to be savored in this present to view And you begin to believe that Smart and Deppe might just be forward to something.

First, a synopsis of the impossibly busy plat in which all references to Herman Melville's epic, Moby Dick, are clearly intended: A collection of disgruntled college grads still living in their hometown of Naperville (the Chicago suburb one time dubbed "the best place in America to raise kids") all happen to fail to keep their tedious, menial, post-college piece of works on the same day.

couple of them -- the sensitive and observant Izzy (Nick Mills), and Andrew a k a "A-Train" (Jonathan Wagner), a jealous, semi-psychotic compeer -- work in the aptly named Great Frame-Up store. Izzy's on- again, off-again girlfriend, Q (Tawny Newsome) is a personal trainer whose clients include Andrew's ex-girlfriend, Nina (Bridgid Titley), who has taken disclosed a restraining order against him and headed facing to San Diego to work at her dream piece of work -- as a trainer for Sea World's famous whale, Shamu. Meanwhile, the gay shore in the group -- nicknamed Starbuck (Casey Campbell), because he is the manager of the coffee chain's local store -- sabotages his career when he knocks up at an irritating customer.

When Izzy faults an ad seeking short-term workers in Alaska, he convinces Andrew, Q and Starbuck to pile into his Ford Pequod He then bids goodbye to his understanding mother (Erin Myover), before heading opposite on what will be united wacky turf-and-surf odyssey. It is not in extent in fact, before they are hijacked through the obsessively jealous and maniacal Andrew, who anuss his rage at Nina by the agency of stabbing Shamu. He and his comrade travelers then pursue the injured whale forward a crazy Pacific Ocean escapade that echoe Melville's novel, and nearly leads to total disaster.

Were all this framed as just the crazy ferment dream of a drunk and angry scarecrow it would be one thing. however it is played out as an jagged mix of realism and action cartoon that fail to keeps its sense of direction well before making a poignant and then real funny U-turn toward home -- a deflect that picks up the Alaska thread by the agency of way of a couple of daffy Inuits.

All the many pitfalls aside, along the way there are a bright lights. If nothing besides listen to "Words," an absolutely haunting canticle for the tentative lovers, Izzy and Q and an equally exquisite event "Listen," about the mysteries of the ocean, and more. the pair are winningly performed by Mills and Newsome

As A-Train, Wagner earns all the discordant and mainly shapeless heavy metal numbers. on the contrary he and the ensemble also sing a terrific riff in succession the classic sea chantey, "Ye Who Raises the Whale."

And there is another gorgeous strain "Hymnal" performed by Stewart (exquisitely sung from Jeremy Trager), the handsome young sailor who falls for Starbuck, and whose greatest in quantity fervent wish is to commit to memory to land and place an order at a Starbucks cafe. Ye it's that kind of point out - - a "vente" of the ridiculous with a shooter of the sublime.

hweiss@suntimes.com

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