The jurors sing and swing in new Asolo Rep musical ‘Twelve Angry Men’

Some books, plays or movies seem more naturally suited to being turned into musicals than others. Who ever thought a musical about a vengeful barber (“Sweeney Todd”) would become such an enduring hit?

Perhaps such a positive outcome awaits “Twelve Angry Men: A New Musical,” which seems as unlikely a musical prospect as many others out there. The story of 12 men often angrily deliberating the fate of a young man accused of killing his father doesn’t seem to scream for musical numbers.

I’m not quite sure why those men are now singing, but they’re doing it in an engaging and entertaining way that is often surprising and impactful, even though they don’t convey the raw power of the original drama.

The musical features Michael Holland’s wonderfully appropriate, cool, 1950s-style jazz and bebop score set to a book by David Simpatico that closely hews to Rose’s original story. Under the direction of Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein, who staged the 2022 world premiere at Minneapolis’ Theatre Latté Da, the overall effect is a smooth-flowing, taut story that is refreshingly different as musical theater.

Still, while the score suits the mood and the personalities of the characters – jittery rhythms for the angriest of the jurors, ballads for those who have more of a sense of calm – it doesn’t necessarily enhance the storytelling. At Saturday’s opening night performance I appreciated the drama and some pleasing or bouncy melodies matched to some sharp lyrics (at least those I could understand on first listen).

But I didn’t feel as involved with the men or story as I did in the company’s gripping 2011 staging of the original play, directed by the late Frank Galati. It may be an unfair comparison, but I kept thinking back to that production during the show, even as I appreciated all that this musical has to offer. Those less familiar with the play may feel more connected to this new version, which gives characters a musical voice with which to express their strong and deeply divided opinions.

Where the original play featured only white men, the Asolo Rep cast is far more diverse, which adds to the potency of some of the harsh and painfully racist comments that emerge during heated deliberations as jurors slowly alter the opinions.

Among other things, this is a show about America in the late 1950s (and today), along with the justice system and the power of one voice to impact others.

Meeting the jurors

We meet each of the characters through song as they respond to questions before being chosen for the jury. They reveal where they went to school (or didn’t), their relationships with their fathers and occupations. It’s a quick and efficient way to get to know them and prepare for the heat of the discussions that begin in a stifling jury room, where inner turmoils and racial hatred rear up.

The drama begins quickly as the group takes an initial vote on guilt or innocence, and Juror #8, played by Curtis Bannister, is the sole holdout, triggering frustration among the others who were hoping to finish quickly.

Bannister is one of three Black jurors (there is also an Asian man and one of Mexican heritage), which clearly rankles a couple of the cockier white jurors, the ones who can’t admit they might be wrong or are afraid to change their minds.

Bannister provides the heart and soul of the story (just as Henry Fonda did in the 1957 movie), and he has several beautiful and powerful ballads to sing with his clear, resonant voice. They are a sharp contrast to the more anxious style of songs performed by James Michael Detmar as Juror #10 and Charlie Clark as Juror #3, the two men with the most abrasive and divisive personalities and attitudes.

There are group numbers performed briefly a cappella and others reminiscent of the harmonic style of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, a popular trio of the 1950s.

Even with such a large cast, Holland and Simpatico help us get to know each of them, though some come through more strongly than others because of the force of their personalities and perspectives. Conor McGriffin as Juror #11, is a German immigrant watchmaker whose foreigner status is an issue for a couple of others; Riley McNutt plays Juror #2 as the most enthusiastic of the crew to experience jury work; Matthew Grifin as Juror #7 is more interested in getting to a baseball game and Alexander Swift plays a fast-talking advertising executive, Juror #12.

Jenny Kim-Godfrey leads a small but effervescent six-person jazz band, that provides a lot of underscoring even in the dialogue scenes. Choreographer Kelli Foster Warder doesn’t create dance numbers (which would be inappropriate), but each song has a sense of forward thrust and energy. In one number, people sing as paper ballots are filled out and handed in, all in a kind of slow motion.

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The play is staged on a set by Benjamin Olsen dominated by a long table and leather-backed chairs that revolve throughout to give us different views of the characters, who are appropriately costumed by Mathew LeFebvre in the kind of suits and business wear that would have been common in a courtroom of the period. Paul Whitaker’s lighting keeps us focused and adds to some of the tension.

Rose’s story still has a lot to say about how we work together, and the creators have given us a new way to appreciate the story. It may seem to odd to hear the singing at first, but the style grows on you as the story develops.

‘Twelve Angry Men: A New Musical’

Music and lyrics by Michael Holland, book by David Simpatico. Directed by Peter Rothstein. Reviewed May 10. Through June 9, Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets are $35-$98. 941-351-8000; asolorep.org

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Asolo Rep closes season with jazzy musical ‘Twelve Angry Men’