Harlequin Turns its Theatre into a Nightclub for an Outstanding Concert
Sugar and the Spitfires take the Harlequin stage to tell the real story of folk-punk stars Abigail and Shaun Bengson. The musical memoir shows a love story with an expiration date and explores the question: What if you only had one hundred days to live? One hundred days to love? Hundred Days is a story about humanity, love, and mortality, all things that cannot exist without the other. As lead singer Amy Shephard simply puts it: this is “A story about being human.”
Going into this production I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t know if I was walking into a musical theatre performance or if it was going to be a long music history show. Turns out it was very much like going to a small, cozy bar to hear the local band narrate, in between the breaks of their concert, stories of their lives on the road. It rapidly became a comfortable, intimate experience that was also exhilarating to be a part of. Written by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher, Hundred Days is a true-to-life story told in concert.
Amy Shephard, lead singer of Sugar and the Spitfires, opens the show by speaking directly to the audience and introducing herself as Abigail Bengson and her co-star and guitarist, Denim Protégé, as Shaun Bengson. Next to them, Jen Grady sits with the cello and Heather Matthews with the accordion. A second guitar, keys, drums, and bass are equipped by David Broyles, Brent Pendleton, Andy Garness, and Rick Jarvela. Together, they tell the story of the Bengsons in song; their wedding vows, their pasts and traumas, their fights, their love, and all that transpired in the span of their relationship.
The band’s interaction added humor and heart to the show. As Amy and Denim told the story, other members would jump in with funny or sarcastic commentary, harmonizing in character as well as in their music. Each member brought in their own distinct voice and skills that could both stand out and harmonize beautifully with their bandmates, though there were some unfortunate off-tune vocal moments. Yet, what made their performance such a worthwhile experience was the feeling that each and every one of them was in love with life. This somehow provided a safe and comforting space to relax and have fun in, which not a lot of shows are capable of providing.
Amy Shephard, in her role as Abigail, was commendable, although she – like the rest of the band – definitely stands out more as a singer than an actress. Her acting was a bit performative, but her energy was consistent throughout the show, and she showed off a solid vocal and emotional range. Her counterpart, Protégé, was a good vocal and emotional contrast that grounded the scene in the more intense moments.
Heather Matthews had a moment to shine during her vocal solo yet, although her fierceness showed through, it was hard to hear her over the rest of the band. Hopefully, the audio is set up better in other performances, so her voice is able to be fully appreciated. Finally, Jen Grady also had a solo moment, and her voice was so soft and sweet that I was holding my breath without noticing. After such strong energy through the rest of the show, her voice seemed so mesmerizing I found myself tearing up.
The weakness of this performance is its last sequence when Abigail and Shaun are sitting together and talking about the mundane of life in a long uninterrupted dialogue that adds nothing by being so long. Because it was also recorded as a voiceover, it feels like one of the least intimate parts of the show, even though it’s written to be tender and sweet.
Director Aaron Lamb’s Hundred Days caters to lovers of folk-punk, indie and rock, to music history buffs, to lovers of alternative storytelling and to those who believe in love at first sight, or death at first sight I suppose. It does have strong themes of childhood trauma and loss but also does a wonderful job of exploring those with a delicate and compassionate touch. I recommend this for an energetic night of compelling music and storytelling, with an intimate and cozy cabaret-like setting.
Hundred Days | The State Theatre, 202 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA | May 5th to May 27th | Thu to Sat evenings at 7:30 pm, Sun Matineés at 2:00 pm.
Tickets: Hundred Days – Harlequin (harlequinproductions.org)
*TW: Flashing lights, explicit car crash, hospital setting, childhood trauma, loss of loved ones, mentions of death.