Lucas Popowich, Millie Boon, Taj Crozier, Alexis Raphael, Ryan J.Burda, Tahirih Vejdani,Vanessa Campbell from CTRL ALT DELETE | Photo by Douglas Price
Presented by Just An Idea Collective
“Say goodbye to pizza!”
This is the outrageous threat Letter Z (Millie Boon) sings at everyone when it’s her turn to defend her right to exist. Sure, the food will still be here, but can you imagine calling it “peetsa?”
The high concept premise of CTRL ALT DELETE: An Alphabetical Musical posits the alphabet as a corporation that’s downsizing; it needs to drop a letter to raise the bottom line. And so, gathered before a jury of their Letter peers (plucked from the audience, a nice Fringy touch), Z is one of seven redundant letters who must plead their utility, the others being: F (Ryan J. Burda), K (Alexis Raphael), Q (Taj Crozier), S (Lucas Popowich), and W (Tahirih Vejdani) and X (Vanessa Campbell). Why them specifically? Because they can be replaced with another letter or combination of letters to create the same sound.
Full of linguistic gags, writer and composer Douglas Price’s musical is kinda nerdy and very clever, but the damn thing also made me cry. Not content with its corporate satire and corny wordplay, it also has interpersonal drama and uplifting messages about compromise and cooperation. It hit me smack dab in the feels—twice!
Here’s a random gossipy assortment of particulars:
S cheated on K with X.
K knows yet, as she is so often, silent.
F is in love W, will afwillite unite them?
Q has an obsessive attachment to U.
You see how it goes.
With only a conference table and projection screen (to reinforce certain word gags) director and choreographer Stephen Cota has crafted a solid and conventional piece of musical theatre. With its snazzy dance numbers, visually dynamic blocking and business, the show has a consistent and compelling momentum. Julia Kim’s corporate casual chic costumes (complete with clip-on name tags) tie them all together as co-workers, while also defining each characters’ unique vibe. The performers get to be sassy, vulnerable, defensive, deceitful, self-sacrificing and protective. And to satisfy the Broadway enthusiast, there’s also some great belting.
Well crafted, sure of itself and efficiently executed, this is a real crowd pleaser. I was beaming the whole time. I especially appreciated its final note—not cynical, exactly, but perfectly pragmatic.
