‘Only Human’: Gary Busey rules as ‘The Boss’

‘ONLY HUMAN’: Gary Busey & Mike Squillante. Photo: Ahron R. Foster.

ONLY HUMAN
Book by Jess Carson
Story by Jesse Murphy & Mike Squillante
Music & lyrics by Mike Squillante
Directed by NJ Agwuna
Theatre at St. Clement’s
423 West 46th Street
(866-811-4111), www.onlyhumanmusical.com

By David NouNou

Would you ever think of going to a musical and be yearning for fewer songs and more Gary Busey? When you have Mr. Busey playing (The Boss) “God” ⁠— which is your ace in the hole ⁠— why wouldn’t you have Him all over the place (after all, He is omnipresent) and believe it or not, Mr. Busey plays Him convincingly.

In addition to Gary Busey, there is a well-conceived and crafted book by Jess Carson. Pity there isn’t more of it. Only Human uses the premise that The Boss, having created light on the fifth day, still feels there is something missing. The hard-working, ambitious and calculating Lou “Lucifer” (Mike Squillante) comes up with the solution of creating humans: 75% men and 25% women and making them in his image, perfect. Maggie (Kim Steele) — I don’t need to explain her identity— is The Boss’ invaluable assistant, doesn’t see it that way and deems there should be a 50/50 split and have humans have the ability to make their own choices.

Chaos and wars ensue. As a punishment Lou is banished from heaven to what must be hell.

The slacker of the piece is the pot-smoking, pizza-eating, trust fund baby, Jay (Evan Maltby). In order to please his father, you guessed it, he is ultimately sent to earth to do good, to bring order to chaos, and what is his reward? He is crucified and sent back to his father.

This may sound a tad blasphemous, but in reality, it is not. As written by Ms. Carson, it is a most interesting concept of the symmetry up in heaven versus the chaos on Earth, and the dynamics of hell and Satan. What a shame there wasn’t more of Ms. Carson’s spoken words and less of Mike Squillante’s score. This is not to say that the score doesn’t have a rhyming cadence to it; it just has one song after another. Fewer songs and more dialogue would have been justifiable.

Kim Steele as Maggie is pure dynamite; her gorgeous singing and seamless acting both give the show its sensibility and the voice of reason. Mike Squillante works better as a songsmith and singer (he wrote himself a lot of songs). Both he and Evan Maltby do their best in the acting arena, but lack the chemistry to work off each other. They come off more as squabbling kids than their dynamic counterparts Lou and Jay.

There is also the ensemble of Ben Bogen and Lili Thomas to complete the cast and do the required dance pieces. You may not come out any the wiser, but you will come out having the pleasure of seeing the legendary Gary Busey, The Boss.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 21, 2019
Reviewed at October 19, 2019 press performance.

‘ONLY HUMAN’: (Left to right) Kim Steele, Lili Thomas, Mike Squillante, Gary Busey, Ben Bogen & Evan Maltby. Photo by Ahron R. Foster.

‘ONLY HUMAN’; (Left to right) Ben Bogen, Kim Steele, Evan Maltby, Gary Busey (above), Mike Squillante & Lili Thomas. Photo: Ahron R. Foster.

‘ONLY HUMAN’: (Left to right) Ben Bogen, Evan Maltby, Mike Squillante, Kim Steele & Gary Busey. Photo: Ahron R. Foster.