Theater Review: 'The Black Suits' At The Kirk Douglas Theatre | Neon Tommy
The teen years are filled with relationship woes and fears of growing up, and “The Black Suits,” directed by John Simpkins and now playing at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, does a great job of capturing that teenage angst within the confines of a Long Island garage.
Joe Iconis’s new musical follows the four teenaged members of a garage band called “The Black Suits” during the course of a summer as they prepare for the St. Anne’s Battle of the Bands. The group’s lead singer and principal songwriter Chris (Coby Getzug) acts as the driving force behind getting the group to play for actual people, hoping that if the band does well and gets discovered, they will be able to stay together and play instead of go their separate ways.
The cast is strong; Getzug’s portrayal of Chris has real emotional depth, the chemistry between Nato (Will Roland) and Brandon (Harrison Chad) was palpable (especially during the number “Amphibian,” which had every audience member laughing), and Annie Golden as Chris’s eccentric neighbor Mrs. Werring stole the show. Rounding out the cast are Veronica Dunne as Lisa, Chris' girlfriend, and Jimmy Brewer as John, Chris' best friend.