The AMT Theater was established as a regional theater in the heart of the Theater District. Its mission is to expand artistic opportunities by offering a haven for playwrights, actors, directors, and stagehands, while inviting audiences to take part in the creative process.
As part of its mission to expand artistic opportunities, AMT Theater is providing the venue for the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival (BBTF), a showcase of original productions. The festival offers a curated collection of plays, ranging from straight plays to musicals. Homebound is an excellent example of the original musical theater presented by BBTF.
Zach Adam wrote the book, music, and lyrics for Homebound. Adam’s career has taken him to New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, Paris, and Tel Aviv. One theme remains consistent: his musicals focus on people trying to be heard. Homebound tells the story of a family torn apart by an inability to communicate.
We are introduced to Jack, a gay musician who has been estranged from his father for ten years. Nathan Quay Thomas, an actor and musical performer known for his work in regional and Off-Broadway productions, portrays Jack as a man who sees himself as “always the outsider/the lonely rider disappearing in the night/leaving one place for another/but never turns out right.” Jack’s estrangement stems from his father’s rejection of his sexuality. After a decade apart, Jack receives a call from his mother telling him that his father has been hospitalized. He flies from Thailand to Tennessee expecting a short visit, but COVID leaves him trapped there.
Jim Stanek plays Frank, Jack’s father. Stanek brings experience from stage, film, and television to the role, portraying a dying man who wants to reach out to his son but cannot find the words. The lockdown convinces Frank that the world has become dangerous, yet he still believes that “nothing is too broken to begin again/nothing is out of reach if you love it again.” He desperately wants to reconnect with Jack, but something continues to block him.
Lola is both mother and wife. Sarah Dacey Charles, whose career spans 30 years on stage, film, and television, brings depth to a character who has reinvented herself as Lola. She declares, “Laura was a mother/Laura was a wife/Laura’s time is done/I’m Lola 2.00/Anything Laura wants/Lola’s gonna get.” Having fled to Mexico to drink margaritas and spend time with a pool boy, Lola could easily become a caricature, but Charles makes her feel real.
Jackie grew up next door to Jack’s family. Wonu Oguntowora, whose credits include Broadway, film, and television, makes clear the tremendous toll COVID has taken on Jackie’s life. As a hospital nurse working double shifts, Jackie is exhausted, yet she still takes time to care for Frank by visiting him at home. She was also a close friend of Jack’s before he left his hometown.
The lockdown brings these characters together as they struggle to find the words to express love. The songs advance the musical and are carefully tailored to each character, creating a strong connection between the music and those who sing it. Homebound explores difficult emotions without becoming dull or predictable. Its only drawback is that the music sometimes overwhelms the lyrics. Even so, this ninety-minute production presents believable characters trying to reach one another.
