Luke & Lisa
It’s Gonna Be So Good
The Duplex, NYC, October 12, 2018
Reviewed by Chris Struck for Cabaret Scenes
Songwriters Luke Holloway and Lisa Mongillo combined forces to bring sarcastic wit with musical flow. The duo showcased selections from their musicals, Tatterhood and Charlotte’s Vineyard, along with some stand-alone songs, breaking them up with a comedy routine that kept the audience engaged. Simply put, the comedic aspect of their songs flourished within the cabaret setting. While they split up larger works into bite-size bits, they also showed their talent for arranging music in a way that benefited the performers and communicated a variety of emotions. This combination allowed them to simultaneously use and poke fun at clichés of the New York theater in a memorable way.
One of the finest examples of this was a trio of songs that represented the “faux contemporary musical writers” period of the Luke & Lisa working relationship. In each of these songs, the singers sang about the “Island of Manhattan” as the epitome of a city. In his number, “Stay a Little Longer,” Dan Fox sang “It’s an island and a city at the same time.” At one point, they called the people of New York “the sand of the island” and joked, “whoa deep.” The best of this trio was, “Don’t Run, Just Swim.” The hilarious chorus from the perspective of a lifeguard at the community pool (“of life”) sung by Charlie Oh included the lines, “Don’t run, just swim, swim, swim, then fly…to New York City.”
Because of their strong songwriting capabilities, Luke and Lisa’s musical collaborations show potential; we’ll certainly see. Taking the prize for best song was one from their medieval musical, Tatterhood, about a princess who runs off into the wilderness to find herself. The character of Toby, who is the brave prince his father wants him to be—but only while he is in his room—is embodied by Peter Johnston, who crooned “In My Room.” Lyrics like “when I finally show them all the things I am when I’m in my room” deserve praise and were delivered well by Johnston who brought the character to life. I have no doubt that more of Luke and Lisa’s characters will be coming to life on stages soon.
