Theater Review: First Daughter Suite Questions Women’s Secondary Role In Politics
First Daughter Suite is the newest musical from Michael John LaChiusa, creator of The Wild Party and First Lady Suite. It plays as four miniature musicals interconnected by an overarching theme: being the family of the President of the United States is not easy. Each act has it own mini-theme that should be reviewed and recognized on its own accord.
Act 1: Happy Pat
The first act is, frankly, the least appealing act with every conversation being sung rather than spoken like Les Miserables. Unfortunately, it comes off more burdensome than beautiful here. The central theme of this act is vanity, as Tricia, Julia, and Pat Nixon fret over a White House wedding while annoyingly singing about chairs and their inability to be happy. The characters come off purposefully oblivious and unsympathetic, but once Hannah, Nixon’s mother, enters the story, things grow slightly more interesting. She is the “Greek Chorus,” reminding all three women that the greed for power or, at least, to look powerful will never bring them happiness. A worthy lesson presented dimly.
After the Nixons, the second act set in the Carter White House comes off as breath of fresh air. It is definitely the funniest and most fun of all the acts. From its very beginning, you are enthralled by its absurdity, but you have to take precaution to remember that it is a dream sequence, as the story progressively gets weirder. Still, like the previous act, the central theme is vanity, but unlike the prior one, it teaches that a simple life can actually be a nicer one. Overall, this act has some of the strongest performances of the show with Carly Tamer beautifully playing the child innocence of Amy Carter and Alison Fraser creating the hilarious, “scene-stealing” Betty Ford.
While Act I is more a drama, and Act II a comedy, the third act is a perfect blend of both. Here again, Alison Fraser shines and solidifies the image that she is the star of this musical. While her role as Betty Ford was fluidly vibrant with its humor, Alison Fraser’s take on Nancy Reagan is exemplary with its calculated use of silence. She is cold, manipulative, brewing with quiet malice, and you cannot stop watching her. Still, Caissie Levy is her perfect balance by creating an endearing look on Patti Davis, who is both funny and openly wounded. In addition, she sings some of the musical’s best and most memorable songs within this act. Together, this dynamic duo works to reveal the uglier side of the Presidential family with the central theme being that the love for power does not necessarily transfer into a love for your family, or in this case, your children.
Act IV has both its highs and lows as Barbara Bush contemplates how a family’s long, reputable legacy can be diminished by one son’s “mediocrity.” This act is primarily carried Mary Testa’s charisma as the humorous, strong, and devastatingly disappointed Barbara Bush. Testa’s strong acting helps the audience through some of the lethargic bits of storyline, particularly through the, at times, annoying and confusing dialogue with the ghost of her daughter, Robin Bush. It is not the strongest act of the musical, but it still manages to be a solid end and closing theme that no amount of outer power can heal a family’s inner pain.
