Sympathy Jones, 9/29

Sympathy Jones is one of the NYMF shows that has been receiving quite a bit of press, due in no small part to the fact that Kate Shindle (Vivenne in Legally Blonde) is playing the title role. While Ms. Shindle deserves all of the press and praise she has been receiving, the show leaves quite a bit to be desired.

Sympathy Jones (Kate Shindle) is a secretary at the top-notch spy agency in the country. She dreams of turning in her typewriter and becoming a full-fledged agent, working in the field. She gets her chance when a confidential case file is accidentally left on her desk: a watch that is able to keep one young forever is stolen by its inventor's ex-wife, Kitty Hawk (Jane Summerhays). She and her husband's former worker, Tick Tock (Glenn Peters) plan to use it to create a time bomb that will freeze the world, so that they can control the world. Sympathy and the assigned agent, David Hunter (Charlie Pollock) team up to stop Kitty. Can Sympathy save the world, prove her talent as a super secret agent, and manage to avoid losing her job?

The show seems to lack a true identity. Is it satirizing the spy-agent genre, or is it using the genre as a backdrop to tell the story of a woman following her dreams, and "making it" in a man's profession? It's not fully clear. The plot seems pretty thin for a 2-act musical.

There are also some aspects of the plot that don't work so well. While Sympathy's yearning to be in the field is fully developed, the same cannot be said of the details of the case at hand. It unfolds too rapidly, not giving the audience enough time to digest the details. Moreover, The major subplot of the musical is also less than stellar. It involves the budding relationship between Sympathy's best friend, Caprice (Lucy Sorenson) and agent Nick Steele (Jimmy Ray Bennett), who has become essentially useless because he is stuck on crutches. There is little chemistry between the characters, and attempts to get Nick off of crutches just seem to waste time.

The strongest aspect of the show is easily its score, as its style is perfectly suited for the show. It has a unique spy-sound to it. Though it is odd for a secondary character to be singing the show's first song, the song is well executed, and is a good introduction to Sympathy's world. A particularly heartfelt song is "I Should Have Known," where for the first time, Sympathy doubts her abilities and decisions. The song is sung exquisitely by Kate Shindle.

Speaking of Kate Shindle, she shines in the title role. She has the heart, the yearning, and definitely the pipes to handle the role. Her performance indicates quite a versatile actress, as the role is very different from her current role as Vivienne in Legally Blonde. I look forward to seeing Ms. Shindle's versatility in future roles. The only other standout in the cast was Amanda Ryan Paige as Sympathy's nagging intern, Doris. Her obnoxiousness and annoyance make her presence quite notable in the limited amount of stage time she receives.

I must also give special mention to the wonderful lighting design. It was the first technical aspect of any NYMF show that made an impression, but great use was made of flashing light to help to acquaint the audience with the spy-agent world.

After reading this review, you're probably thinking that I didn't like the show. That's not true. Despite its flaws, it's a fun show. My roommates can couch that I ran into our apartment, making a spy pose, and singing, "Sympathy Jones, super secret agent..." If Sympathy Jones is not a great show, it is certainly a likable one.