"How The Hell Did I Get Here?".
In a musical autobiography the show is only as good as the story involved and the music that accompanies that person's life. In "How The Hell Did I Get Here?", Lesly Nicol tells the story about her life; being short and pudgy as a child made this world famous actor very shy in her earlier years. Short, bespectacled, she never has too much to say until as a young child read a comedic poem in school. She then shortly realized what her calling was.
In a cabaret setting in the Club Car Room at The McKittrick Hotel, Nicol is accompanied by Mark Mueller playing the piano (they both wrote the book and the music). In a deft scenic design by Anshuman Bhatia, suit cases are on both sides of the stage; the suit cases serve as both video projection and props. Lucrecia Briceno brilliantly works the lighting in both a cabaret feel as well as a play format. The cheerful lights of fuchsia, light blue and whites give the audience an easy feel to the actor's glorious life.
Faced with high's and low's, Nicol tells part of her life in song: "How The Hell Did I Get Here?", "Boarding School", "The Loneliness of It", " She Had a Great War", and "Lite Supper for an Invalid". Many of the songs are led into by the star telling us, sometimes poignantly, other times emotionally of different times of her life.
For 80 minutes long we always feel the humane of Ms. Nicol; her love for her father, the conflicts with her mother and what it meant for her to be cast in various parts in her life. The roles she cherished (Jesus Christ Superstar, Mama Mia and Downton Abby). She even name drops some of her favorite actors along the way.
In a very British way Ms. Nicol is humble, grateful... we feel her tenderness and warmth in this heartfelt performance. When she talks about her stage roles she marvels at how many famous people came to see her perform. Never dwelling on herself , rather, she gives credit to the people who helped her along on her career path.
In autobiographical musicals it is essential that the actor connect with the people; that the audience is invited into that person's life. Here Lesly Nicol does just that. We feel like we are in her living room, that she has invited us in for a spot of tea and a chit chat.
