So much to love in ACT’s ‘Nobody Loves You’

LOVE IS AN ACT: Contestants in the reality dating show (and American Conservatory Theater musical) Nobody Loves You include (from left) Molly Hager as Megan, John-Michael Lyles as Dominic, Ana Yi Puig as Samantha and Seth Hanson as Christian. Photo by Kevin Berne

I have to admit some dread about going to see Nobody Loves You, a long-gestating musical now at American Conservatory Theater’s Toni Rembe Theater. I’m always excited to see anything by Itamar Moses, who wrote the book and co-wrote the lyrics with composer Gaby Alter. Moses and Alter are childhood friends and Berkeley High grads, and Moses is one of those smart, insightful playwrights whose work is always something to be excited about.

No, my hesitation was twofold: first, the subject of the show is a fictional reality/dating show set in the “not-too-distant present,” and I am the opposite of a fan when it comes to any “reality” show, especially of the dating variety. If I want to be that manipulated by television, I’ll watch the news, thank you. Second, I have an aversion to screens as a major component of live theater. I know that’s how the world turns these days, but I believe human beings are far more interesting than screens or projections.

Happily, I needn’t have worried on either count. Director (and ACT Artistic Director) Pam MacKinnon and her team eschew screens, although set designer Jason Ardizzone-West cleverly creates TV-shaped frames when necessary. And Moses and Alter are mining reality shows for laughs as well as for something much deeper that has to do with our need to be seen and loved and recognized for our actual selves.

SOMEBODY LOVES YOU: Kuhoo Verma is Jenny, production assistant and aspiring documentary filmmaker. Photo by Kevin Berne 

Originally conceived in 2006, Nobody Loves You had its world premiere at San Diego’s The Old Globe in 2012 followed by the New York premiere at Second Stage Theatre a year later. It’s interesting that in all that time, our national obsession with dating shows, not to mention our frenzied social media presentations of our own “realities,” has increased. The only thing that seems dated in this current version is multiple references to “new Twitter,” whatever that means (wouldn’t it be nice not to have to mention Twitter at all?).

Reality shows are an easy target for satire, but Itamar and Alter take an intriguing approach. Jeff (A.J. Holmes) is a testy, above-it-all PhD candidate who can’t seem to get anyone to care about his philosophy dissertation. He gets dumped by his girlfriend, who happens to be a big fan of the long-running show Nobody Loves You, where the catchphrase is, “Pack your bags and leave the house because…nobody loves you.” To prove that he’s willing to do anything to get her back, Jeff auditions to be a contestant on the show and, to his great surprise, is accepted as one of 15 would-be lovers confined to a “Big Brother”-type, always-on-camera living situation.

A MINEFIELD TANGO: Jason Veasey (center) is host Byron, surrounded by contestants (to the left) Lyles as Dominic, Puig as Samntha and (to the right) Hager as Megan and Hanson as Christian. Photo by Kevin Berne 

Jeff’s big realization is that by being on the inside of something he finds soul destroying, he can attempt to destroy the thing itself and deliver one heck of an original dissertation that those Jeff-resistant eggheads at Cal State Long Beach won’t be able to dismiss.

Of course Jeff is surrounded by the usual types you find on these shows: the devout virgin acolyte (Seth Hanson as the aptly named Christian), the boozy bad girl (Molly Hager as Megan), the uptight maniac pretending to be chill (Ana Yi Puig as Samantha) and the adorable dude who may not be the sharpest tool in the shed (John-Michael Lyles as Dominic). The trouble is that the more Jeff fights the cliches and resists all the tropes, the more the viewing audience loves him and the more popular he becomes. Whether he likes it or not (and maybe he likes it a little), he can’t help but feed the beast.

There’s no potential love match for Jeff among the actual contestants, but the bright, testy production assistant Jenny (the marvelous Kuhoo Verma) is a kindred spirit. Their anti-love song about how much there is to hate in the world is highlight of the Alter-Moses score, which leans heavily into pop-rock that sounds, appropriately, like TV theme songs.

Rather than heavy set pieces (and did I mention NO TV SCREENS?), lighting designer Russell H. Champa sets the mood effectively with boldly colored lights to separate the show from a starker reality. That difference highlights something else that really works in this show: a careful balance between snarky, silly comedy and sweet, (not sappy) sentiment. There’s a genuinely effective attack here on our shallowness as a culture, our bald neediness and our gross exhibitionism. But there’s also sincerity when it comes to love and compassion for human failings. That’s a tough balance to achieve, but it’s what makes Nobody Loves You more than just a laugh-filled romp (which is also true).

The cast is excellent – playing big comic moments to great effect and scaling down to human size when necessary. Jason Veasey is a treat as Byron, the host of “Nobody Loves You” who comes across as a Temptation or an O’Jay without his fellow bandmates. He’s slick and his moves (choreographed by Steph Paul) are smooth, but he’s in thrall to the voice of the control room constantly in his ear. The Svengali producer of the show, Nina (Ashley D. Kelley), is a master manipulator, and the great fun of Kelley’s performance is how centered and calm it is, even while the actor doubles, triples, quadruples her performance playing secondary (often very funny) characters.

There’s a knowing awareness to the musical as a musical, and sometimes the layers are there (as in the anti-love song love song), and sometimes not. There are stretches when the storytelling (and the lure of the reality formula) take over and you forget you’re watching a musical until someone startles you by breaking into song. Many key moments have no song attached to them, while others that do have songs feel like they could be more layered.

In that way, Nobody Loves You still feels like a musical in development even though it has been developing for almost a decade. It’s clear, though, why the show continues to evolve – its sharp observations, big laughs, enjoyable score and irresistible performances make Nobody Loves You quite easy to love.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Itamar Moses and Gaby Alter’s Nobody Loves You continues through March 30 at American Conservatory Theater’s Toni Rembe Theatre, 415 Geary St., San Francisco. Running time: 1 hour and 45 minutes (no intermission). Tickets are $25-$130. Call 415-749-2228 or visit act-sf.org.