(Photo credit Francis Gacad)

Written by Patrick Chavis

Kimberly Tiongco (Deb) David Albulario (Warren)

It was night, and I found myself sitting in my silver Prius surrounded by all types of trucks and cars on top of the Mess Hall parking structure in Tustin, waiting for the premiere of Ordinary Days, a musical put on by the Wayward Artist Theater Ensemble and the Frida Cinema. I’ve been to a drive-thru before, but this was a different experience. The production combines live theater performance with film cuts and cinematography, seamlessly moving with the story and transitions. If you didn’t make the one-time drive-thru premiere, you could watch the same recorded performance streamed from the Wayward Artist website through August 7th.

Joslynn Cortes (Claire)

Ordinary Days is the story of four New Yorkers as they each deal with very relatable issues — the kind people deal with every day. I mean, it’s not the same, but the problems and issues presented in Ordinary Days could come up in an episode of the TV show Friends, except with more singing involved. The writers cleverly, if not predictably, tie everything up, and we see exciting connections among the characters.

Story:

One of the big themes of this musical is ordinary or simple things can be beautiful and meaningful. At the same time, the show is pretty simple and ordinary in its plotting. Did the writers purposely make a play that argues for the beauty and importance of the play they created? I don’t know the answer to this question, but the fact I’m even thinking about it is a sign of clever writing (or my habit of over-analyzing things).

How they shot, this play was exciting. I’ve seen a lot of films. I’ve also seen quite a few filmed theater productions. This is the first time I can say I watched these worlds collide. The show not only has this darkly lit, bohemian-looking backdrop set where much of the story takes place, but it also features clever New York-Esque transitions and broll that go along with the songs.

The show has an exciting cast of actors who do a phenomenal job. There’s not a weak link in this cast.

David Albulario’s (Warren) singing and bubbly attitude translate onstage in his performance — what great casting. He played the role of the optimistic, happy-go-lucky guy to a T. The chemistry between him and Deb (played by Kimberly Tiongco) works here — great performances.

Ordinary Days had a few laughs, a decent storyline, and a strong cast holding the show together. It’s well worth a watch.

Above Average!

Review

7.9 Overall

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Story7.5

Acting8

Set & Design8.5

Costumes8

Entertainment7.5

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Song Favorites: “Sort of Fairytale,” “Calm,” and “Rooftop Duet”