World Premiere of BLUEFINGER at Catastrophic Theatre is Ingeniously Conceived Masterpiece

The world premiere of Bluefinger: The Fall and Rise of Herman Brood at The Catastrophic Theatre on Friday, November 12, at DiverseWorks was the most exciting and enthralling opening of the current theatre season.

Sex, drugs, and rock ’n roll Dutch-style pretty much sums up the monumentally epic life and times of Herman Brood and Bluefinger, boldly and masterfully brought to the stage by visionary Jason Nodler, artistic director of The Catastrophic Theatre.

Nodler’s new masterpiece focuses on the life and lifestyle of Herman Brood, a Dutch rocker who never made it in America but is a folk hero in the Netherlands.  Brood committed suicide by jumping from the ninth floor of the Amsterdam Hilton in 2001, but what had already killed him was his addiction to 2 grams of speed a day and his alcoholism.  Brood’s one shot at breaking into the American rock scene in 1979 at the Bottom Line in NYC was thwarted because Brood could not score any speed and resorted to a drunk-athon that turned quite ugly and ran off most of the crowd.

Typical actions of an addict: undermining and sabotaging one’s success.

Nodler takes much of his inspiration from Black Francis’ (Charles Thompson) 2007 concept album entitled Bluefinger, devoted entirely to Brood’s life and death.

Black Francis prominently figures into this production and, portrayed by Michael Haaga, serves as the musical narrator of our story and leads an onstage band, the Bluefinger Band.  Black Francis was founder of The Pixies, one of the most influential rock bands of the nineties.  Nodler also was inspired by an idea from Pixies biographer Josh Frank.

Nodler has ingeniously utilized two rock bands on the stage to tell his story.  One band, The Bluefinger Band, is lead by Michael Haaga as Black Francis.  The other band is lead by the late great Herman Brood, Herman Brood and his Wild Romance.

Bluefinger: The Fall and Rise of Herman Brood begins with Black Francis crooning the haunting ballad from his concept album, Bluefinger, “Angels Come to Comfort You."  Then we go to an interview with several of Brood’s friends and groupies who are reminiscing about Brood’s life and times.  From then on, the book is pretty much chronological with the exception of several short flashbacks of Brood as a child with his mother and father.

Nodler’s book is gutsy, in-your-face, raw, funny, tragic, and miles better than the book of the Broadway hit American Idiot, based on Green Day’s concept album, American Idiot, which is a fictionalized account of the lives of three friends and their lives during the past decade as they are affected by the encroaching media monster and, of course, sex, drugs, and rock ’n roll.

Nodler’s book is grippingly real and he supports his excellent book with effective projections on an upstage screen. Each scene is preceded by a title, such as “America, 1979.”  He shows the real Brood and his art and even the Hilton in Amsterdam from whose roof Brood jumped to his death.  As the audience is leaving, a video of one of Brood’s performances plays on the screen to remind us that what we have just witnessed is a real life and a real death.

Nodler’s direction is gripping and gutsy in every way.  His club scenes are authentic and arrestingly spooky and take us back into the seventies in an instant.  Brood’s numerous drug scenes are seedy, seductive and sad, perfectly orchestrated by Nodler’s exquisite direction and exquisite sense of reality.  Nodler wisely ends the show with Brood’s famous cover, "You Can’t Break a Heart and Have It.”

It is my belief that Bluefinger is so good that it could and should run for years, whether here or Off-Broadway or both.  It is better than American Idiot, which I reviewed on opening night, and could make a huge splash in a smaller New York venue.

Matt Kelly gives a brilliant and biting tour de force performance as Herman Brood.  Kelly, a high school teacher in Austin, truly becomes Herman Brood before our eyes.  He even strongly physically resembles Brood.  Beginning as a hopeful, strong, and vibrant rock and roller, Kelly slowly disintegrates before our eyes into a pitiful and pathetic drug addict.  Kelly receives the Best Performance of the Season in my book.  You must see him to believe his stunningly brilliant portrayal of Brood.

Bravo, Mr. Kelly!

Michael Haaga is amazing as Black Francis, lead singer of the Bluefinger Band, who narrates our story through Black Francis’ memorable musical tribute to Herman Brood.

Troy Schulze is brilliant beyond words as Koos, who becomes Brood’s manager.  Schulze gives one of the most riveting and memorable performances of his stellar career.

Mikelle Johnson is splendid as Xandra, one of Brood’s amors and hilarious as a Man whose house is being painted by Brood.

Elissa Levitt, Ivy Castle-Rush, and Jessica Janes, three of the most sought after performers in Houston, are sexy and superb as the three back-up singers in Brood’s band, Wild Romance.

Greg Dean, Matthew Carter, Jeffrey Miller, Kyle Sturdivant, Josh Langham, and Matt Brownlie, are all excellent and memorable playing multiple roles.

Chris Bakos, Kevin Blessington, Matt Brownlie, John Duboise, Cathy Power, and Kirk Suddreath all exhibit fantastic musicianship as members of the Bluefinger Band.

Scott Ayers, Jeffrey Miller, and Bill Savoie, all outstanding musicians in their own right, recreate Wild Romance, Brood’s band.

Musical arrangements by Anthony Barilla send us to rock heaven.  Music direction by Anthony Barilla and John Duboise is exceptional.

Scenic design by Kirk Markley perfectly recreates the grunge and grit of Amsterdam through black modular panels that snap into place to become club banquettes, beds, sofas, and band platforms.  His use of numerous panels painted with blue skies and white clouds pay homage to Brood’s famous artwork.

Kevin Holden’s lighting is superb as usual.

Costumes by Tamarie Cooper, Kelly Switzer, and Norma Catlin Thompson perfectly capture the look and feel of the seventies all the way until 2001.

Sound design by Chris Bakos and Anthony Barilla is always loud, clear, and superb.

(Ear plugs are provided at the door for those who do not want to totally rock out!)

Run to see The Catastrophic Theatre’s Bluefinger at DiverseWorks, which runs through December 18.

You will see this critic attending Bluefinger again because I believe it to be such a brilliant, moving, and memorable theatre experience.

Personally, I am eternally grateful to gaze upon the insanity of addiction, if only to remind me where my life was headed had I not walked through the doors of recovery some twenty years ago.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, please click on:

http://www.catastrophictheatre.com/