Murder Ballad at the Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport

The Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport presents Murder Ballad, a passionate tale of love, sex, and murder for one weekend only, September 26^th – September 28^th. Conceived by Jonathan Larson Award winner Julia Jordan, with book and lyrics by Jordan and music and lyrics by Juliana Nash, this steamy, completely sung-through rock musical is a unique, sexy, adult thriller that explores love, marriage, betrayal, and revenge and points to the long lasting consequences of the choices we make. 

Phillip Bettencourt serves as both director and musical director for this captivating show, featuring a small, but abundantly talented cast. He leads an onstage rock band featuring Christopher Cavaliere, Marcelo Calderon, Aaron Diamond and Zach Simao that complements but never overwhelms the stunning vocals of the performers.

Maggie Pangrazio, the Bijou Theatre’s artistic director, shines as the not quite objective Narrator, drawing us in with her strong rock vocals and leading us through the dark tale of love gone awry, which but for the grace of God, could happen to any of us. She tells us from the beginning that we will witness a murder, but leaves us guessing as to who gets murdered, and by whom, until the very end of the show.

Arielle Boutin, as Sara, presents both light and dark with her more than believable portrayal of the girl whose heart was broken by the bad boy, but who finds new life and love with her dependable, good-guy husband Michael, played with oh-so-perfectly staid sweetness by Everton Ricketts. Ms. Boutin adroitly captures the initial excitement of first being in love and becoming a new wife and young mother of a perfect little girl – that is until that little girl goes off to school, and she’s left at home wondering who she is supposed to be between the hours of 9 and 3. Her uncertain sense of self, the ennui and routine of being the stay at home mom, and a little touch of depression make her vulnerable to the dangers of her bad boy, ex-boyfriend, Tom. Christian Cardozo, who embodies all the good looks, sensuality, and narcissistic swagger of the kind of guy that mothers warn their daughters against but fall for anyway, devilishly plays Tom. 

This fiery mix of personalities smolders throughout the theater during the performance, further drawing the audience into the passion and drama of the play. Theatergoers should be prepared for an up-close and personal, almost voyeuristic view of the volatile state of affairs (pun purely intentional.) The actors are spot-on in their performances, and are able to elicit all of the empathy, sympathy, hope, and loathing that their characters deserve – although interestingly, I suspect that audience members will differ in who they root for and who they think might deserve to die, depending on their own life experiences and points of view. That is the joy of good theater.

If you are in the mood for some steamy, edgy fun, you’ll need to hurry. Murder Ballad at Bridgeport’s Bijou Theatre runs through Sunday, September 28^th only.  Visit The Bijou Theatre for tickets.