Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre’s production of Disaster! is a funny, entertaining show combining great dancing and singing with classic songs. Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick’s parody of ’70s disaster movies, using the era’s hit music as the musical numbers, is set on a floating casino off New York, awaiting various catastrophes. Directed by Dr. Shane Jensen and choreographed by Darryl Pilate, it is a colorful way to kick off the company’s 59th season.
Sean Garcia plays Chad, a waiter at the casino, as a heartthrob concealing deep feelings. In “Hot Stuff,” he advises Scott (Drew Looney) about talking to women and charms several of them. He is awkward, though, when unexpectedly meeting his ex, Marianne (Ally Baca). Pretending with her that everything is fine, alone he sings “Without You” about how he misses her. He reveals his hurt feelings to her in “Sky High,” and tenderly sings about her in “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight.”
Ally Baca plays Marianne, a reporter trying to discover the casino’s shoddy construction, with great fierceness hiding fears. In “I Am Woman,” she sings proudly of being a strongly independent career woman, while “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be” reveals the real reason she does not want to get married. “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” shows her sharing her vulnerability with Garcia.
Cameron Walker brings an urgency to Professor Ted Scheider, the expert trying to warn everyone of the impending disaster at the casino. In “Feelings,” he tenderly sings of burying his emotions after a terrible tragedy. “Mockingbird” has him comically echoing Jackie (Caitlyn Ruth McClellan) as he tries to conceal his identity.
Caitlyn Ruth McClellan plays casino singer Jackie with ambition, determined to be a success and marry boyfriend Tony (Ryan Gallucci), even against all the evidence to the contrary. She sings “Saturday Night” enthusiastically, getting the spotlight. In “I Will Survive,” she powerfully sings of stepping out on her own and finding her own strength.
Meghan McCarthy switches back between Jackie’s twin children Ben and Lisa with excellent skill. Ben is mischievous and discontent, while Lisa is intelligent and inquisitive. “When Will I Be Loved” brilliantly shows off the back and forth, while “Ben” has Lisa tenderly helping her brother in a crisis.
Emily L. Sergo plays nun Sister Mary Downey with perfect comic timing. At the casino to preach against the sin of gambling, she sings “The Lord’s Prayer” hilariously off-key. She finds herself drawn to the slot machine, wrapping herself around it in “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “Torn Between Two Lovers,” and trying to hide it from passersby.
Sarah Johansen and Michael Kenny play the long-married couple Shirley and Maury. “Still the One” has them playfully and cornily dancing and singing about their love. A reprise has Kenny tenderly singing it, full of emotion. Johansen is excellent at physical comedy, trying to hide a terminal condition with lots of physical and verbal tics, stuffing her mouth with paper to stop saying inappropriate things. Her tap dance routine is captivating to watch, full of energy and precise moves.
James Claxton IV captivates the stage as disco diva Levora Verona. Evading a taxi driver demanding she pay the fare, she wails about having fallen so low. “Knock on Wood” has her hoping for better luck as she plays the slot machine, while inadvertently causing the catastrophe. She begins “Come to Me” slowly, almost like a spiritual, before breaking into a fast-paced song and hitting the falsetto.
Ryan Gallucci plays casino owner Tony as a sleazy operator. He propositions Marianne in “Do You Wanna Make Love” and follows around a scantily dressed model while pretending to look for Ben. “Don’t Cry Out Loud” has him comically showing his fears during a crisis.
Drew Looney replaced Derek Anderson as Chad’s friend Scott in this performance, awkwardly trying to chat up women. Ashley Barry, Thomas Digby, Laura Krell, Drew Looney, L. Osborne, and Tyler Rose make up the ensemble, playing backup singers, irritable chefs, and a captain.
Set Designer Todd Croteau and Props Designer Jessica Padgett create a colorful casino. Audience right is a rotary phone and an unusually shaped seat, while audience left has an office with piranhas. A slot machine is near the center, where the musicians can be glimpsed behind streamers. Arches on either side of the stage come together for an elevator, and the balcony has chairs, doors leading to dressing rooms, and closets. Costume Designer Lisa Chadwick and Wig/Hair Stylist Ryan DeVoe evoke the fashions of the ’70s, with shiny dresses for Jackie, a huge Afro and platform shoes for Levora, and bright shirts for Shirley and Maury.
Lighting Designer John Purnell and Sound Designer Hayden Van Wormer increase the atmosphere of calamity with whirling spotlights, rumbling noises, and lights evoking fire. Blue light bathes the stage for Sister Mary’s “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “Torn Between Two Lovers.”
Choreographer Darryl Pilate creates beautiful dance numbers, with lifts, swings, and kicks. Shirley’s tap dance to “A Fifth of Beethoven” is especially spectacular. Director and Music Director Jensen leads the musicians (Marie Harrison, Trent Goldsmith, Jeff Eckert, William Georg, Allyson Wesley, Mari Hill, David Lewis, and Aaron Kan) in playing all the memorable songs, never letting it overwhelm the singers. The performers use all parts of the stage, with simultaneous action on the main floor and the balcony. Their high energy and near-constant motion help add to the sense of doom. They sing powerfully, hitting all the comic and emotional moments, while acting out the song lyrics in funny ways. “Three Times a Lady” is particularly hilarious. Missing this show would be a disaster!
Running Time: Approximately two hours 30 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
Disaster! plays through June 14, 2025, at Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre – 143 Compromise Street, Annapolis, MD. For tickets ($30), call the box office at 410-268-9212 or purchase online.
Disaster!
By Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick
Director/Music Director: Dr. Shane Jensen
Choreographer: Darryl Pilate
Production Manager: Lin Whetzel
Stage Manager: Jessica Padgett
CAST
Chad Rubik: Sean Garcia
Jackie: Caitlyn McClellan
Sister Mary Downy: Emily L. Sergo
Ben/Lisa: Meghan McCarthy
Marianne: Ally Baca
Levora Verona: James Claxton
Prof. Ted Scheider: Cameron Walker
Tony Del Vecchio: Ryan Gallucci
Scott: Derek Anderson
Maury: Michael Kenny
Shirley: Sarah Johansen
Ensemble: Ashley Barry, Thomas Digby, Laura Krell, Drew Looney, L Osborne, Tyler Rose
