The Lisps' music stands on its own in A.R.T's "Futurity"

Some of the best music here, while fantastic, is definitely on the more-traditional side. The musical's prologue, "Arkansas" is an instantly appealing spiritual with rich hymnal harmonies. This is juxtaposed with the much grittier and powerful work-song, "Sinner's Land." Both songs might be too antiquated to find their way onto a Bon Iver album, but there's plenty of cross-over material elsewhere to be had.

Futurity's music finds its best balance in more contemporary pop/folk-numbers led by the Lisps' César Alvarez, who stars as the child-like soldier, Julian Munro. Alvarez certainly channels a bit of the Jonathan Richman man-child aesthetic, both in his lovably flat-affect and in his nasal vocal delivery (approachable '80s folk-punks, the Violent Femmes, might be a better reference point). "Cumberland Gap" is the catchiest of the lot, with a feeling halfway between a cowboy go-round (think "Happy Trails") and a Calypso campfire session. "Don't Wait" drives along with more of a country-folk skip that is readily translatable to today's folk fans. Alvarez shows additional versatility in the musty, Cohen-esque, vibe of "Ada." While several other songs push the dimensions even further, the theatrical elements (mood, characterizations, etc) bring about a cohesion which keeps the production from feeling too diffuse.

Detractors of musical theater need to ask themselves this: was the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper--with its reprise, interludes and flights of fancy--really any different? It's just music folks!

Photo by EVGENIA ELISEEVA