The stakes are high in any musical production, let alone a remake of a book and movie as gritty, personal, and unique as High Fidelity. Now running at Hart House Theatre, High Fidelity is a show based on 2000’s cult classic film of the same name, which was based on Nick Hornby’s novel.
The show does not depart much from the plot of the film. Rob Gordon, played by David Light, is a young audiophile—cynical, insecure, self-hating, highly elitist, undeniably endearing. Think long-time employee at Queen Vid, only a music elitist. Rob owns his own record
store called Championship Vinyl, where he works with two men, Dick and Barry—“the musical moron twins,” as he dubs them—played by Carl Swanson and Brian Russell respectively.
The show opens with Rob being dumped by his live-in girlfriend, Laura, a lawyer played by Jamie Arfin. The play documents Rob’s breakdowns and break-ups as he haphazardly, disastrously, and charmingly tries to win Laura back. Ultimately, he succeeds, and they live existentially ever after.
The brilliance of the movie, though, hinged on Cusack’s deep and sensitive portrayal of this complex character. A performance so specific it is difficult to tell what came first: the archetypal bitter romantic, or this portrayal that makes us believe it exists. Akin to Marlon Brando’s Stanley, Cusack so embodied Rob Gordon he is inextricable from the character. For any actor, playing him would have been a challenge.
David Light, though, is way off the mark. A well-muscled, handsome blond, he is clearly very confident, and enthusiastically shouts his way through Rob’s most heart-wrenching monologues, often substituting volume for depth of emotion. Though in most shows a single character’s performance could be overlooked, Rob is so central to High Fidelity that the result is nearly fatal.
Nevertheless, most aspects of the show are excellent. The sets and costumes are perfectly executed. In this respect, the show is best-suited to university theatre, as the hipster clothing and decor are all-too-familiar to both the actors and audience.
The music is well-performed by the cast, but the score itself is lacking. Completely original and designed to evoke the pop styles of Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, and the Beastie Boys, the intrinsically upbeat nature of Broadway music is jarring when paired with such flawed, cynical characters.
Arfin is a very strong singer and actor. Likewise, Laura’s friend Liz, played by Ashley Keefer, is a dynamic presence on stage. Jason Zinger’s characterization of Ian is dead-on, and consistently hilarious.
Of the “musical moron twins,” Brian Russell’s Barry is effective, though it is in large part an imitation of Jack Black’s defining character. Carl Swanson’s Dick, on the other hand, steals the show. Swanson gives a sincere and original performance that from the first makes all his songs seem appropriate.
The choreography is strong, and generally well executed. Most notably, the possible outcomes of Ian and Rob in the record store—doubtless very difficult to stage—are perfectly timed, and hilariously set to ’90s rap. As well, the “top-5 break-up” girls are excellently portrayed as back-up dancers/video girls throughout the show, a truly original and effective choice.
The technical aspects of the show are strong, and many of the performances are excellent. Casting Light as Rob does hurt the show, however, and for me, this is impossible to get past.
High Fidelity runs at Hart House Theatre through January 30. Student tickets: $10-15. For more information, visit harthousetheatre.ca.
