Dogfight

Dogfight by Ben J. Pasek and Justin Paul (Music and Lyrics) and Peter Duchan (Book) premiered Off-Broadway in 2012, receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences. Subsequently, it has been performed in many countries around the world, and now in Adelaide by the St. Jude’s Players. This is piece of modern, intimate musical theatre is about truth, lies, systematic violence, abuse, and the redemptive power of love. In many ways it follows the conventional trope of boy-gets-girl/boy-loses-girl/boy-gets-girl; but other than that, there is nothing conventional about this challenging, provocative, and profoundly moving intimate musical.

Set in San Francisco in 1967, it focuses on the relationship between a young US Marine, Eddie Birdlace, and a young diner waitress, Rose Fenny. We first meet Eddie on a bus bound for San Francisco. Eddie is completely traumatised by his recent experiences in Vietnam, which has resulted in the death of his friends, Boland and Bernstein. Eddie is returning to San Francisco partly because it was the last place he and his friends were together before they left for Vietnam; it was also the place where he met Rose for the first time when he took her to a ‘Dogfight’ party. What is a ‘Dogfight’? It is a traditional Marine party, held before active service begins, in which the young marines search a city for ugly women whom they then take to a party in which the ugliest is chosen and awarded a cash prize. It is repulsive toxic male stuff, born of an equally toxic system involving training young men to go to war.

Eddie meets Rose at a diner and invites her to the ‘Dogfight’. For Rose, this is like a romantic first date. Her dreams, however, are shattered when she finds out what the ‘Dogfight’ is all about. She publicly berates Eddie, stating that she hopes he and his buddies all die in Vietnam. Rose then flees back to the safety of her own home where she sings the heartbreaking song ‘Pretty Funny’, one of the highlights of this show and production, which marks the climax of Act One.

In Act Two, Eddie comes to Rose to apologise and asks her to come to dinner with him. Initially Rose is furious, but then agrees. On the way to the restaurant, they sing a beautiful duet, ‘First Date/Last Night’. For Rose, this really is her ‘First Date’ with a man; for Eddie, it is his ‘Last Night’ before he leaves for Vietnam. It is a song full of doubt, vulnerability, and the blossoming love, and another highlight of this show and production.

To say any more would spoil the pleasure of this complex and multilayered piece of intimate musical theatre. Suffice to say that the final embrace between Eddie and Rose at the end of the musical brought tears, not only to me but others sitting next to and around me; two misfits from different backgrounds finally connecting in a true moment of genuine human compassion. It was beautifully played and extremely moving.

Despite Dogfight’s international success, the musical has also received some condemnation due to the brutal abuse of women. Yes – it is brutal, particularly the ‘Dogfight’, but this is also passionately condemned by Rose, as well as other women, including the prostitute Marcy, who has been hired by one of the boys to win the ‘Dogfight’ competition. What is being condemned is the system, in this case the US Army, as it gets young men ready to go to war; it is abusive, and they in turn become the abusers.

To produce Dogfight in these current times is a huge risk; not just because of the #metoo movement, and other issue relating to the abuse of women, but also because of the numerous military engagements and wars that are occurring throughout the modern world, including Syria, and the Ukraine. Young men are being trained to become killers – but at what cost? The St. Jude’s Players, however, can only be applauded and praised for taking this risk and producing Dogfight at this time, and it is a complete success. Part of this success is due to the creative team, Brian Godfrey (Director), Ben Stefanoff (Musical Director), and their company of players and musicians. In a truly terrific ensemble, Ruby Pinkerton as Rose, and Gus Robson as Eddie are stand-outs.

Congratulations to the St. Jude’s Players for this production of Dogfight; a truly rewarding, poignant and profound show. Highly recommended.

Tony Knight