The Suzanne Roberts Theatre hosts Eli Bauman’s 44: THE unOFFICIAL, unSANCTIONED OBAMA MUSICAL

During his remarks at the Friday, October 29, Philly performance, Bauman urged the audience to be aware of “what’s at stake next week.” He encouraged us to stay together, to stop reading the “old book,” and to keep flipping the pages forward.

Hopeful, uplifting satire

This musical—despite satirizing Biden’s age, Mitch McConnell’s slipperiness, and the fembots of Fox News—remains hopeful and uplifting. It pokes fun at political figures without demonizing them. Rather than portraying Hillary Clinton as an angry over-the-top feminist, it showcases her frustration while gently mocking her “pampers pantsuits.” Instead of showing former House Speaker John Boehner or Tea Party presidential hopeful Herman Cain as one-dimensional bootlickers, it portrays them as humans. While the show keeps Barack and Michelle Obama as its emotional core, it doesn’t shy away from 44’s occasional uncertainty. Even better, the script doesn’t step away from reflecting on dramatic events.

This smartly written show takes a page from Hamilton, intertwining music and pop-culture picks from past eras with today’s references. Each of the characters has their own style. The Obamas are soulful R&B while Sarah Palin (Jane Papageorge) rocks it like a heavy metal background dancer and Herman Cain (Dino Shorté) sings to Purple Rain. The play even recreates the Coming to America “She’s Your Queen” song with the entrance of Michelle Obama (R&B artist Shanice).

The wordsmithery is also perfect: funny, alliterative, and full of allusions with statements like “we broke the chains, now we hope for change,” calling Clinton “mother of dragons,” and referencing nay-sayers as the “tower of vanilla power” or the “Caucasian congregation.” The sight gags are equally hilarious, from superimposing Michele Obama’s face on Wonder Woman’s body to Barack Obama and Biden doing the Kid ’n Play dance. The multimedia aspect (including images of 1980s buddy movies) perfectly complements the onstage activity.

A genius production

The whole cast gives 100 percent and then some. Dressed as Rosie the Riveter, Summer Nicole Greer’s “Voice of the People” is vocally bold and eloquent. Chad Doreck’s Joe Biden as clueless hype man is a comedic gem of a narrator (similar to Hamilton’s King George). And bonus points to Larry Cedar’s slippery Mitch McConnell, a rapping Ted Cruz (Michael Uribes), Papageorge’s dance skills as Palin, and Shorté’s amazing patience as Herman Cain. T.J. Wilkins’s Barack Obama, Shanice’s Michelle Obama, and Marqell Edward Clayton’s Brother Abe Lincoln all have smooth voices perfect for R&B.

Bauman and his production team are geniuses. Andrew Brester’s House of Vibe band is on point. Miss James Alsop’s humorous choreography is everything, offering deliberate simplicity alongside Bauman’s staging and lighting by Jared A. Sayeg. They all avoid overpowering the cast while highlighting the message.

Although all the songs are ridiculously funny—“M.F.O.” (Mother-Effing Obama), “What Would Liam Neeson Do,” “Filibusters,” “Thoughtz N’ Prayerz,” and Cain’s "Purple Rain"—I equally respected the realistic gravitas of Obama’s solo, “How Black is Too Black.”

An uplifted nation

If celebrities like musician Julian King and comedian Wanda Sykes (in the audience at Suzanne Roberts) can drop by for the show, then so can you. Funny, playful, lighthearted, and smart, this musical deserves ALL the accolades. I loved 44 so hard. It addresses important issues without feeling heavy-handed or ostracizing the audience (and it’s full of contemporary Easter eggs).

I felt teary looking at images of an uplifted nation. I laughed at every single Michelle Obama costume change. And I loved sitting in a play about a Black president amongst a mostly Black audience. We need to do better as a community. We need to vote for the interests of our compatriots, moving us all forward and giving the same privileges to us all. I left 44 feeling warm and enriched. See this musical and let the message of unity and positivity wash over you.

At top: Chad Doreck as Joe Biden (top), T.J. Wilkins as Barack Obama (center), and Jenna Pastuszek as Hillary Clinton. (Photo by Bella Marie Adams.)