Theatreworks’ ‘Lumberjacks in Love’ high on energy, low on plot  

This impressively produced rendition of this cult classic succeeds thanks to a topnotch cast who elevate the show’s (slightly) dated material and strange structure.

If you can’t tell from the name alone, this isn’t going to be your standard night out at the theatre. Theatreworks’ production of this cult classic musical comedy, originally a collaboration of Fred Alley and James Kaplan, born at the American Folklore Theatre in Door County, Wisc., is a slickly produced musical featuring lumberjack jokes and not much else.

The musical follows lumberjacks Minnesota Slim (Sammie Joe Kinnett), Dirty Bob (Jeremiah Walter), Moonlight (Justin “JPapp” Pappas), Muskrat (Jerry McCauley II), and the Kid (Kaley Corinaldi), who are happy living a semi-unwashed bachelor lifestyle, until Dirty Bob accidentally orders Minnesota Slim a mail-order bride named Rose (Emma Maxfield), forcing these men to consider what married life would be like. Along the way, secrets are uncovered, twists are revealed, and flannels are worn. Lumberjacks in Love promises musical madness with a heart of gold wrapped in layers of cross-dressing, long-lost love, high-country hijinks, and, of course, more flannel than a hipster house party!

The actors all impressively played their own instruments, the staging was clever, and it featured more lumberjack stereotypes than I knew existed. Yet, despite the musical trappings, there is no getting around the fact that the show is weirdly structured and has some dated elements in the plot that aren’t offensive, but just aren’t very funny. For instance, a lot of the jokes come from the homoerotic tensions among the men. It almost makes you think that the musical will have them in love (or, at the very least, comfortable expressing their friendship with these other men), but alas, the musical mocks male love and sentimentality for laughs. When they touch or express their feelings to each other, the characters act outrageously disgusted.

The musical begins by introducing the play’s central conflict – the impending arrival of a mail-order bride – and we see how that affects the lumberjacks … for a while. The entire first act is just the characters messing around, cross-dressing, and musing about lumberjack life. The second act begins with Bob’s gender troubles and then moves to a suicide situation that is played for laughs. Then, and only then, does Rose show up and the mail-order-bride plotline starts in earnest. Right when the musical seemed to be picking up steam plot-wise, it was over. Rose’s whole escapade – which features the sharpest writing and characterization – is curiously condensed into the musical’s final 30 minutes. Always leave them wanting more, I guess?

Scenic designer Dan Porten’s set is fittingly lumber-y. As the audience members enter the theatre, we’re greeted by a strong wood smell from the large, rustic log cabin. On stage left, there is a semi-circle made out of tree tucks, a wooden outhouse, and foliage as far back as the stage goes. The cabin also spins – courtesy of actors and stage hands pushing it – to reveal the interior of the cabin with a plethora of silly props and set dressings that make the space feel very homey.

There is no house music; instead, sound designer Eric Grosenbach creates an atmospheric soundscape of natural noises (such as birds chirping, crickets, the river, crows, and wind rustling through nature) that immerses you in the wilderness. Costume designer Pheobe Boynton has fun outfitting the cast in lumberjack apparel and successfully coordinates multiple costume changes that all feel true to the characters. Lighting designer Jen Fok’s work really complements the scenic design. Fok takes advantage of Theatreworks’ impressive array of lighting instruments to add well-placed pops of color and texture to the show.

Choreographer Dottie White does a nice job of blending Broadway and Barnyard Hoedown dance styles. The choreography is well realized within the show’s staging by director Caitlin Lowans, who guides her cast expertly across the playing space. She makes good use of levels and does a nice job of seamlessly transitioning from scene to scene. However, I do wish her blocking had utilized more of the space. The upstage area – with the stumps, outhouse, and foliage – was so beautifully designed by Porten, that it was disappointing to see the actors remain mostly downstage of these scenic elements. The show’s physical comedy also struggled to land due to weak blocking of moments like the bathing scene and Slim’s time in a barrel.

Lumberjacks in Love relies on the work of its strong cast to elevate the musical’s shoestring-thin plot and broad characterizations. Kinnett has a strong singing voice and makes an excellent lead. Slim’s character is the most fleshed out and given the best jokes. Kinnett sells dialogue like “a buncha naked lumberjacks chopping down trees” and he strongly grounds the characters’ serious ballads. Whether she is playing the tambourine in a group number or finding a silly way to use her fan in scenes, Maxfield excels. Her appearance as Rose is brief but very memorable. Her song “Stupid, Stupid, Love” is gut-bustlingly funny and a high point of the show.

Pappas does his best with Moonlight’s problematic dilemma of being in love with the Kid, which is a problem not only because they are kids, but more importantly because they are a boy! It’s basically Twelfth Night with more plaid and less nuance. Likewise, Corinaldi has a fantastic singing voice as the Kid, but her plot and the lyrics to her songs are lazy. Not even Corinaldi’s earnest delivery can save these contrived lyrics and plot points. McCauley’s music direction is very well done and he has a lovely singing voice as Muskrat. His character isn’t given a lot to do, but he makes the most of his character’s mid-life crisis. Walter rounds out the lumberjacks as Dirty Bob, the lumberjack who refuses to take a bath and is intrigued by the possibility of wearing a dress. He is given no real character development, but Walter does a nice job of fleshing out and humanizing Dirty Bob. He and Kinnett have great chemistry together and establish a strong sense of kinship between Bob and Slim that helps keep us invested in these characters’ turmoil.

If the title, Lumberjacks in Love, makes you chuckle, you are probably going to have a good time with this show. It delivers on silly musical numbers that spotlight lumberjack culture and features a high joke-per-minute count. However, if you have a quota on how much lumberjackery you can handle, this just isn’t the show for you, and the musical explicitly communicates that. Theatreworks’ production of Lumberjacks in Love never takes itself too seriously and allows the cast and designers to shine.