Theater critics have given primarily negative reviews to the new Off-Broadway musical Turtle on a Fencepost, presented by Max Brod in a limited engagment at Theater 555. The creative team includes Prisoner #11RO731 (aka Hank Morris) (book), Austin Nuckols (music), Lily Dwoskin (lyrics), Gabriel Barre (direction), Kenny Ingram (choreography), Aaron Gandy (music direction), Steve Orich (orchestrations, arrangements), Walt Spangler (sets), Vanessa Leuck (costumes, make-up), Yael Lubetzky (lights), Twi McCallum and Rachel Kolb (sound), Stefania Bulbarelle (projections), and Bobbie Zlotnik (hair & wigs). The cast includes Garth Kravits (Hank Morris) with Janet Aldrich, David Aron Damane, Joanna Glushak, Erik Gratton, Kate Loprest, Josh Marin, Joel Newsome, Robbie Serrano, and Richard E. Waits. Below is a short preview of the show.
DC Metro (Deb Miller): In the new musical comedy/vanity project A Turtle on a Fence Post by Prisoner #11RO731 (aka political consultant and broker Hank Morris), the writer continues … a fictionalized rehashing of the narrative of his imprisonment. … It’s all told with a sardonic tone and a stylistic array of 22 original songs, with appealing music … and redundant lyrics. … Despite the best efforts of the cast and team, the only take-aways from this self-serving blame game are that political divisiveness is stuck in a never-ending cycle of revenge that stymies any progress we could be making. … It’s a lesson that Prisoner #11RO731 still hasn’t learned.
New York Stage Review (David Finkle): Unhappily behind bars, Morris decided to relieve his despair by preparing a musical about the painful episode in his life and tapping composer Austin Nuckols and lyricist Lily Dwoskin to supply the score. To give the very hard-luck story a slightly lighter framework, he’s set it in a Manhattan comedy club. … While uncorking many a ba-da-bing gag to keep the comedy-club atmosphere jiving, he nevertheless packs so much outrage in that he streeeeetches his taletelling to two acts. … Convincing as Turtle on a Fence Post is regarding its political history, it’s still one side of the Morris-Cuomo story. 3 out of 5 stars.
Theater Mania (Zachary Stewart): Morris is slightly less sympathetic than Sweeney Todd, and that’s without committing murder — unless you count the book musical as a victim. … This vainest of vanity projects at least gets a top-notch production from director Gabriel Barre, whose wizardry keeps this two-and-a-half-hour monstrosity from feeling like a life sentence. … The Prince of Darkness himself shows up … to remind us that he too will have a second act — and the good Democrats in the audience will probably vote for him. … Unintentionally, A Turtle on a Fence Post asks us how much longer we will tolerate this behavior.