A Musical Review: The Total Bent Questions Religion And Race At The Public Theater
The Total Bent officially opens at The Public Theater this Wednesday. Taking place in the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery, Alabama, it goes straight for questions on religion, race, and the revolutionary power of music. Its riveting music and genuine additions to said discussions help cover a confusing storyline.
The Total Bent is about a young, gay black man in Alabama during the 1950’s…. yeah. Marty Roy (Ato Blankson-Wood) is beyond an outcast in society and struggles to have his music be heard for the revolution it could be. He combines religious music with political statements that challenge his religious, old-fashioned father Papa Joe Roy, played charismatically by Vondie Curtis-Hall. The show uses dramatic sound effects and lighting to build the superstition and tension that surrounds these characters and their musical attempts to heal both listeners and themselves. They are black in 1950’s Alabama, which means their voice is limitedly heard for its power, but each wonders if religion is a worthy message. Does God really have their back when they are so oppressed?
You hear people all the time question God’s placement in the world, while citing Him as an encouragement of conformity. In here, lies the clash between Marty and his father. Marty wants to use the precious blood of Jesus and rock n’ roll to tell white people that black people are angry and are readying a revolution, while Papa Joe believes that integration will leave blacks feeling even more materially hungry. Instead, he sees spiritual fulfillment, not interracial unity, as the only healing for racism’s wounds. As he explains, “Blacks hate white people as much as white people hate blacks”, citing the disunity as mutual and encouraged by unforgivable cruelty. The discussions between father and son and the band, whom stay on stage as an endearing, separate character, are poetic, layered, and cringe-worthy. The text is brutally raw but veiled in thoughtful language, which makes their discussions absorbable, despite their pain. It is not easy to be vulnerable and feel hurt, whether it be your own or another’s. Yet, The Total Bent builds empathy through eloquence.
Racism and religion are some of the most difficult, if not, impossible discussions to have. They are filled with emotions and mental hiccups that can leave anyone wondering if peace is truly attainable or rather God. Stew (music and text) and Heidi Rodewald (music) do an excellent job of making these “hot topics” be listened to for their necessary value and not dismissed as loud noise. Their words are so artful that they flow into your mind like a stream of consciousness. Suddenly, you agree to face the sociopolitical darkness to question how do we get light? The music only enforces this clearing stream because it truly is some of the best music you will hear in a musical.
The music of The Total Bent is absolutely magnificent. It is hypnotic in hooks, rhythms, and beats. In addition, the cast is filled with charming singers and actors. Vondie Curties as Papa Joe Roy has a voice that goes down like a warm, sweet sip of cocoa. It is so rich and sultry you can literally taste it. Moreover, his presence on stage is so likable, you wish he were your best friend. You just want to wait for him after the show and invite him for a beer. Meanwhile, Ato makes Marty sound like he truly is destined for radio. Each song he performs feels like a mainstream hit, and the later half of the musical comes off like a sold-out concert thanks to his passionate performance. Moreover, his character feels timeless. Ato gives Marty an eternal youth complex because he exhibits the angst, intelligence, and frustration to feel free that every generation has when facing older ones. Honestly, if Marty had revealed himself to be a Millennial, I would not have been surprised. Combine the eloquent text and stunning songs, and you almost can ignore that the plot is confusing.
Although you know the story based on the basic synopsis given, how it plays out is choppy. The scenes do not necessarily flow into each other and can feel like time jumps more than scene changes. One minute Marty is a young man trying to convince his dad about his music and, in a blink, he is a world renown musician/ global phenomena. You mentally permit the incoherence because the music and lines are sooo good, you feel you must forgive. They truly say and sing words that can enlighten audiences on these topics and seem like personal wisdom to carry for life. Thus, I really hope this musical gains some clarity on its story because it can sweep up Broadway.
The Total Bent could take Broadway by storm if it gains fluidity. Its music and approach to difficult themes are fresh, needed, and stunning. Still, the story is not clean enough to be fully understood. Although you always know the characters’ emotional and mental state, you, can get lost as to where they, literally, are in life.
The Total Bent will be playing at The Public Theater till June 19.
