By Sharon Eberson
It may seem like a regular occurrence, celebrities from Simone Biles to Jay-Z to Demi Levbato dragging the discussion of mental illness into the spotlight.
But we know better. Those relatively recent revelations only highlight how painfully long the topic has festered in the shadows.
“Break the silence; break the cycle” is how Taraji P. Henson’s foundation puts the mission “to eradicate the stigma around mental health issues in the African-American community.”
In the dynamic new musical Kalopsia, no one is quiet about the fantasy world Bernard “Byrd” Fuller (Malcolm McGraw) escapes to, least of all Byrd. But the resistance to therapy and medication as means of ending that cycle is another matter entirely.
Byrd is the kind of guy that inspires dueling emotions. You may want to celebrate his creativity one minute and slap him upside the head the next.
Before we meet him, a younger Byrd is in trouble and not the good kind. His parents have been summoned before a nun at his school, who in a most forgiving way says, “God is still working on Byrd.”
Both the sister and his father (Sam Lothard), who has had enough of his son’s antics, want the boy to get help. But his adoring and frankly enabling mother (Dominique Briggs), guided by her faith, is willing to see her marriage crumble rather than seek the therapy that, to others, Byrd clearly needs.
There is an “Equus” factor at work when it comes to Byrd — don’t worry, no horses or nudity. It is whether it is best to allow Byrd his wild, creative inner life or force him to live within the rules the rest of us have to follow.
And honestly, who wouldn’t want to have a shield against life’s traumas? Byrd’s got a big, brassy musical one, and he is holding onto it for dear life.
The word “kalopsia,” explained by Byrd’s co-worker and amateur therapist Gerald (Treble Nls), is the delusion that something is more beautiful than it really is. Like most everyone else, Pothead Gerald and know-it-all Vanessa (Ryan Jordan) are both charmed and exasperated by Byrd.
On one thing, everyone can agree. Whether through faith or therapy or force of will, it would be a blessing if Byrd could “get his mind right,” as one of the songs goes.
The young man — we are not sure exactly how old Byrd is, although he lives with his boyfriend — is seemingly oblivious as to how his actions affect others.
So, on the one hand, it may seem cruel to cure Byrd of his beautiful fantasies. On the other, our empathy makes it no less palatable to observe his inconsiderate, self-destructive tendencies and no less profound when acceptance and sensitivity create a path to healing for all.
Oh, and did I mention that this is a musical comedy?
Set Design by Nina Stumpf – Lighting Design by Cat Wilson
The tunes are a pop mix with R&B and gospel influences, and the show is packed with vibrant characters who sing and dance up a storm.
Writer-lyricist Monteze Freeland and composer-lyricist Michael Meketa have since 2016 been developing the show based on Freeland’s personal experiences, with director Tome’ Cousin joining the creative team for the stirring musical now at the New Hazlett Theater.
Freeland and Meketa first presented Kalopsia for two nights only, as part of the New Hazlett Community Supported Artists (CSA) series, with Freeland directing. Today it is a vastly different show in many ways, such as a cast expanded from six to 11. Cousin and choreographer James W. Manning have put their stamps on Kalopsia with a fluidity of emotion and motion, as Byrd navigates his two worlds.
This show’s development was happening parallel to that of the most recent musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Michael R. Jackson‘s A Strange Loop — one of my favorite cast albums of recent years. That 2019 off-Broadway musical also is a semi-autobiographical tale of a Black queer man with a rich inner life that spills onto the stage.
The success of A Strange Loop highlights the fact that Kalopsia was already tapping into an important topic, ripe for musical interpretation.
Actors reprising their roles from that original CSA production include Lothard and Briggs, while Victor Aponte has been recast to play one of the drag-draped Blue Birds — Byrd’s bewigged set of backup singers, along with Terrance Austin.
When they appear, you know that Byrd has entered a realm where he may be prone to living out a fantasy in a hotel room. One he should be cleaning, as an employee of his cousin Larry (Richard Richard McBride). Poor put-upon Larry is a decent guy who has romantic sparks set off by one of his guests, the flirty and quick-witted Hattie (Charlese Dawson). She just happens to be a therapist and knows how to keep a guy like Larry interested and keep her own counsel as well.
Larry and Byrd are stuck in a cycle of firing and rehiring — the hotel owner should let his cousin go permanently. But oh, he loves those pies brought to him by Byrd’s mom. And then there is Cheryl El Walker (also reprising her role) as cheeky Aunt Goodie, who has plenty of schemes up her sleeve to keep everyone in line.
In the thick of these family dynamics is Byrd’s lover, Hakeem (Hubert B. McCarthy III), who is as straight-laced as Byrd is flamboyant. Hakeem wants Byrd to get the help he needs to succeed but finds himself in a cycle of fighting and forgiving, even as the man he loves is spiraling out of control.
McGraw as Byrd carries a big load with a constant smile. He is rarely offstage, and in the few moments when he does standstill, it is likely to be on a desktop. If he isn’t fully in motion, his mouth is going a mile a minute. That’s Byrd, never a dull moment.
Kalopsia demands triple-threat performances of many of its players, and no one falls short where it counts most, in emotional depth or even in landing of jokes, even a few groaners.
The topic may be heavy, but Byrd’s path to get his mind right is paved with laughs, despite the many potholes.
I wish the program had included song titles, as there are a few that had me humming on my way out.
I admit my experience was influenced by many factors. Interest in seeing the show’s development in collaboration with the very busy Tome’ Cousin, and perhaps most significantly, it is my first full indoor show since March 12, 2020.
There was already a joyful spring in my step as I walked into the North Side theater and an appreciation for the adherence to safety protocols. That was a truly beautiful thing to behold.
Kalopsia runs now through October 17th at the New Hazlett Theater on the North Side. For tickets visit: https://newhazletttheater.org/events/kalopsia-the-musical/
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