‘Little House on the Ferry’ is a Pure Gay Delight
A pint-sized production with a big heart and hugely talented cast, "Little House on the Ferry" finds the gay in everything.
With a fall chill in the air and winter in the wings, the ferry service from Sayville, Long Island to the Fire Island Pines will scale back its schedule. In Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, however, the summer sun and fun are extended, thanks to Robert Gould’s Little House on the Ferry, a delightful Off-Broadway musical that has set up occupancy at Ferry’s Landing, formerly known as the upstairs space of the famed cabaret Duplex.
Rob Arbelo serves as Gould’s co-composer and co-lyricist, and together, the team has concocted a sweet and often touching confection of gay life on Pines. The pair turn back the clock to 2011 on the eve of the Marriage Equality Vote in New York State. Boyfriends Randall (Charles Osborne) and Timothy (Andrew Leggieri) are eagerly awaiting the vote as they plan for a weekend with friends.
There, they team up with Donnie (Christopher Harrod), Jake (Troy Valjean Rucker), Antonio (Gilberto Saenz) and a fabulous redheaded drag queen (Felipe Galganni, aka Xana DuME). Kailin Brown, Manuela Agudelo, and Kelsey Rogers round out the cast as a Greek chorus who make appearances as talking deer and aggressive seagulls, the result on both accounts being hilarious.
Gould ensures that the story retains the original intent and importance of Fire Island and slyly slips in some lesser-known gay history. He also reminds us of the heartbreaking loss many experienced at the height of the AIDS epidemic but ensures that things never get maudlin.
The plot, involving the contentious vote, typical gay drama between lovers, and the sale and destruction of Donnie’s cherished Fire Island home, is predictable and paper thin. Yet the original music is filled with earworms that you’ll wake up humming the day after. Gould and Arbelo’s score ranges from standard Broadway fare to gospel, contemporary to country, and even a spirited tap number.
Director Victoria Rae Sook has assembled a hugely talented cast, who all have moments to shine but work together to deliver a fine product. This pint-sized production packs a lot in, and is an ideal choice for date night or a reunion with the friends you just met this summer in the Pines. At its heart, Little House on the Ferry is about the strength of gay community. With uncertain political winds, we need that now more than ever.
Little House on the Ferry (★★★★☆) is playing Off-Broadway upstairs at The Duplex, 61 Christopher St., in New York. Tickets are $85 to $125. Visit www.littlehouseontheferry.com.
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