Review: ‘Never Better’ at Theo tells an authentic musical story about mental illness (original) (raw)

How do you help someone who refuses to be helped?

It’s a question that can baffle the most devoted loved ones of someone facing mental illness or a daunting medical diagnosis. And it’s a topic treated with great care and gentleness in “Never Better,” the latest developmental musical to be staged in a full production at Theo, directed by Landree Fleming.

Preston Max Allen began writing the book, music and lyrics to “Never Better” in 2014, a few years before “Dear Evan Hansen” opened on Broadway and won six Tony Awards. Both shows portray the heavy toll that depression and suicidal ideation take on young people, but I find “Never Better” much more authentic and moving. With some tweaks to the narrative arc of the first act, Allen’s musical could be everything I’d hoped “Dear Evan Hansen” would be.

Emma Samuelson, a recent BFA graduate and newcomer to Chicago’s theater scene, stars as Davy, a college sophomore who’s struggling to beat a flu-like illness. Davy sleeps the days away while her roommate, April (Melody Murray), films upbeat makeup tutorials for TikTok.

When April convinces Davy to finally go to the clinic, a nurse practitioner named Aynsley (Liz Bollar) shows concern over her initial exam and bloodwork, urgently referring her to a hematology lab for further tests. Through panicked googling, Davy determines she likely has leukemia — and then does nothing. Frozen into inaction through fear, depression and past trauma, she passively loosens her grip on life.

With a voice that could easily front an indie band, Samuelson is a natural fit for Allen’s pop-rock score, which is orchestrated for keyboard, guitar, bass, cello and drums. The entire ensemble is well-matched vocally, creating some beautiful moments of harmony with the leadership of music director Ellie Kahn and assistant music director T.J. Anderson. Songs and dialogue flow seamlessly into one another without applause breaks, and this unbroken pacing helps sustain the emotional stakes.

Other narratives intertwine with Davy’s story throughout the show, to varying degrees of success. In several vignettes, ensemble members enact stories of terminal illness that Davy discovers online, such as a dad (Jess Alexander) coming to grips with his teenaged daughter’s pending death and a couple (Travis Shanahan and Ismael Garcia) facing the disease’s impact on their relationship. These scenes are musically memorable — I loved the acoustic opening to Alexander’s number — and also underscore Davy’s own journey to process her unofficial diagnosis.

However, other plotlines compete with Davy’s. In the first act, we learn that April is a survivor of sexual assault. While her story is compelling in its own right, delving into the limitations of the criminal justice system and the lingering effects on survivors, she really deserves more attention than a few focused scenes and songs can give.

Another supporting character, Davy’s casual love interest Carter (Shawn Smith), is a sweet, self-deprecating guy who works at Guitar Center and has given up on his old dreams of being a rock musician. Carter becomes one of the key people who intervenes in Davy’s self-destruction, but I’d argue that we don’t need a solo number about his own failed ambitions (no reflection on Smith’s fine vocals).

By intermission, I felt the show had promise but the storytelling was too scattered. Then the second act blew me away.

As Davy’s mental and physical health deteriorate, Aynsley, April and Carter each do their best to convince her to seek help. We also learn more about past hurts that affect how Davy approaches her current situation. In one of her lowest moments, Davy and Aynsley have a raw conversation about bereavement, suicide and survival. Allen pulls no punches with the lyrics here. Davy sings, “Heartbreak’s the only promise life can keep, so I’d rather sleep.”

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Emma Samuelson and Jess Alexander in "Never Better" by Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in Evanston. (Time Stops photo)

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I appreciate this show’s honest look at depression, grief and illness, as well as the way it offers hope without relying on easy platitudes. It also makes me fear for the people who don’t have the support system that Davy does, or who sink into the quicksand of medical debt due to an unreliable health insurance system — a problem that gets a nod in several of the ensemble’s vignettes.

After last season’s “Baked!” and this fall’s “Never Better,” I’m increasingly impressed with Theo’s developmental productions of new musicals. It’s refreshing to see such care given to the work of younger voices, and I’ll certainly be watching to see what’s on offer in future seasons.

Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic.

Review: “Never Better” (3 stars)

When: Through October 13

Where: Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, 721 Howard St., Evanston

Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Tickets: $45 at 773-939-4101 and theo-u.com