Fowl Play Is No Rotten Egg

There is nothing foul about Fowl Play.

Fowl Play, a brand new musical with music and lyrics by Billy Recce and book by Billy Recce and Yoni Weiss, clucked into being Thursday at its first private industry reading/presentation at Carroll Studios here in NYC, and it was egg-cellent (pardon the yoke). Mrs. Lovett would love it.

I’m not the most critical theatre-goer. I tend to like most things I see and I’m not one for nuance in the industry. I don’t know the inner workings and politics and I certainly don’t get to attend very many industry readings (or any, though I’ve now gotten to go to the first reading of two new musicals this month, which is pretty cool in my book).

And I love Billy. Those of you who know me or have read the post about it know that I loved A Musical About Star Wars, despite not being even remotely a fan of Star Wars. I met Billy (who wrote the music and lyrics) through that show and have been lucky enough to become friends with him, attending his cabaret shows at 54 Below and The Green Room 42 (which were my first introductions to this new musical), and even collaborating with him on a silly song I made with my sister and niece during the pandemic (Sweaty Girls by Miri and the Tias). I’ve probably streamed Little Black Book, his musical concept album about Hollywood Madame Heidi Fleiss, more than anyone and I had the chutzpah to correct how he pronounced Nevada in it (it’s Nev-Ad-A, not Ne-Vah-Dah - from the Vegas girl).

All this to say that I am a fan of the musical theater writer and the man. So I was honored and delighted when he invited me to the industry reading of his newest musical, about two unpopular queer musical theater writers who are commissioned to write an apology musical for a certain unnamed fast-food fried chicken corporation with a history of homophobia.

Here is the official synopsis, as published by Variety: With theaters closing left and right to be replaced by Targets, Apple Stores and fast-food franchises, the down-on-their-luck writing duo, Archie and Xander, are faced with the promise of a major payout and the rebirth of the Broadway musical comedy, if they can satiate the new CEO of the chicken chain, Kimberly Chickadee. In the style of a Mickey and Judy musical extravaganza, “Fowl Play” is a take-no-prisoners satire about the commodification and commercialization of queer culture.

Is it punny? Yep. Were there tons of fantastic theater and industry references? Yep. Did I get them all? Almost. Was it a super fun musical that I am eagerly waiting to see staged? Absolutely.

My two cents: This show is no shell out. It will crack you up.