Broadway musicals books and lyrics writer Chad Beguelin has had lots of praise and award nominations. In 2013 he tried his hand at social satire off-Broadway in Harbor. Critics praised the play’s character development and its transition from lightness into darker zones. In the New York Times Rachel Saltz called it “biting and touching comedy about the constantly shifting nature of the meaning of family.”
The title refers to the upscale Long Island town of Sag Harbor where a newly married gay couple, Ted and Kevin, get a visit from Kevin’s uninvited, pregnant, gay-baiting sister Donna and her 15 year old daughter Lottie. You can predict bitchiness, right? But evidently things become less obvious the more these people tangle, with solid ideas about relationships and compromises surfacing.
This looks like a major change for Beguelin who’s been exploring the waters of lighter theatre fare, Disney’s Aladdin (Tony Award nomination for Best Book, Drama Desk Award Nomination for Best Book and Outstanding Lyrics) and The Wedding Singer (Tony Award nomination for Best Book Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Lyrics). He also wrote the lyrics for the Broadway musical Elf. http://www.chadbeguelin.com/
Michal Simpson is the director of this production at SNAP. The cast: Noah Diaz, Kaitlyn McClincy, Joshua Mullady, Ryleigh Welsh.
“This ‘Harbor’ is not safe for anyone,” Saltz said.
Harbor runs March 5 to 29 at SNAP Productions, 3225 California Street. Thurs-Sat. 8:00 p.m. Sun: 6:00 p.m. Sun. Mar 29: 2:00 p.m. Tickets: $10-$15. http://www.snapproductions.com/