“February House” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

*** Based on a real living situation in Brooklyn Heights, New York, “February House” spans the years 1939 through the end of 1941, coinciding with the war in Europe (a/k/a World War II). The musical is based on a story by Seth Bockley: having to do with George Davis (Abraham Deitz-Green), a gay man from Michigan, who lacked the freedom to express his authentic self and longed for a place of refuge which he could call home. George comes up with an idea of sharing a house where creative people can develop their artistic flair and explore their sexuality. This is a time period when any notions of sexual orientation and gender identity that deviated from the norm of heterosexuality would have been verboten publicly.

At the onset, we see how George is excited about renting out rooms in a boarding house to famed poets, writers, composers, and performing artists who wish to live a Bohemian lifestyle without fear of the outside world looking in. One of the first people to flock to his commune is Southern Gothic author Carson McCullers (Sadie Fridley), who is tired of all of the swastikas and the right-wing politics in France and is happy to return to the United States. Already married to Reeves McCullers (Danny Dollase), she is also in love with George—who is also involved with the poet W. H. Auden, a/k/a Wystan (Esteban Ortiz-Villacorta). Also joining them in the house is the composer Benjamin Britten (Lucca Silva) and the English tenor Peter Pears (Joshua Messmore). (Note that Messmore has a gorgeous singing voice—especially the way he sings dissonance—and he and Silva do some wonderful arias together). Then there is the curvaceous and glamorous burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee (Arwen-Vira Marsh), who is working on writing a book. Others living there include Wystan’s college student “husband” Chester Kallman (Henry Jones) as well as Erika Mann (Julia Yanosik-Perez) who is Wynstan’s wife, originally from Germany, and the daughter of the famed Thomas Mann.

Even though the show is well-acted, it lacks a certain excitement, because we never really get close to the characters. We can’t fully understand who they are without a sense of the history behind them. Some are authors, some are poets, some are fine artists, some are entertainers, etc., who would have been known to the public in the early 1940s. But now it’s over eighty years later. Since we don’t really know who these luminaries are or what they are like as people, we cannot fully appreciate what they once meant to the American public. To put this another way, we need to get a better sense of the historical underpinnings of these once famed individuals in order to know whether their personal characteristics expressed on stage are true to their nature.

The second act, however, pulls several threads together, and that’s when things start to get interesting. It is Erika who believes it is necessary for the United States to join in the war on the side of the Allies and lectures the group on the importance of following contemporary geopolitics. George and Wystan, however, are all about producing art, and both want to minimize any political intrusion on the creative process. This is where a story that is largely about libertinism develops some psychological tension. Now we see some debate regarding the relationship between politics and art. Should art be reflective of the immediate political situation or should it stand as a pure ideal untouched by current events and concerns?* We see how each of the characters take sides in this argument. Erika is indignant about not hiding one’s head in the sand. Benjamin and Peter are purists but cringe when London is being bombed by the Germans in September 1940, and they start changing their minds about the influence of politics on the arts. Wynstan, however, does not change his view. His desire remains undeterred to see to get his musical about the mythical hero Paul Bunyan onto the New York stage.

One of the best parts of the production has to do with the February birthday party in the first act. To my mind, the main purpose of the party scene is perhaps to explain the uncanny coincidence that so many residents’ birthdays happened to be in February, hence the title “February House.” Judging by the applause, the audience adored Gypsy Rose Lee’s choreographed performance as a stripper. Marsh’s portrayal is exceptional, thanks to Marina ‘Lo Ca’ Lo Casto, the burlesque consultant! And everybody loved the opening song in the second act: having to do with bedbugs! How funny and great it was! Yet while the music and lyrics by Gabriel Kahane strengthen the plot and are lively and interesting, none of the songs are hummable. Yet the music direction by Evan Trotter-Wright (on keyboard) cannot be excelled. What a talented senior at Northwestern University, and what a wonderful stage orchestra to boot!

I especially loved the integration of the lights with the props and the multipurpose set, due to the incredible work of scenic designer A Inn Doo and lighting designer Chelsea Strebe. In the daytime hours and during get-togethers in the evenings, we see all manner of wooden furniture piled up high against the back wall. There are several desks, dressers, and chifforobes and even an old card catalog stacked way up high, with wardrobe doors leading to the house’s exit. But at night when the occupants are reading or are alone, the lights grow dim and the tall wooden furniture suddenly turns into skyscraper silhouettes. Small bulbs embedded within the wood give us the impression of windows and a cityscape. Colored lights work well in telling the story, and strands of lights hanging from the ceiling throughout the theatre give the set a festive mode. I liked the kitchen area with an old-fashioned stove and icebox, plus various beds demarcate different rooms with unseen walls. The boarding table provides us with a central focus when all of the guests have the opportunity to converse all at once with each other. Choreography throughout by Kristen Waagner is well done and very smooth. It was fun to watch the ensemble constantly decorating and redecorating the stage. Courtney Abbott, the intimacy and fight director, has done fine work, especially with both sexually implicit and explicit scenes. Also, thanks to the efforts of Gin Ko, garments are perfectly reminiscent of the era. And Linda Gates, the dialect/text coach has succeeded in imparting British and German accents to the cast, as appropriate.

This story demonstrates how living an authentic lifestyle was not only essential to the psychical well-being of all the February House residents but also enhanced their creativity and innovative vision. Yet it is the character of George (and the fine acting by Deitz-Green) who is the glue that largely holds things together. His biography nicely sets the tone at the beginning, and his prominence is very fitting at the end. While the show is entertaining and pleasant and directed nicely by Seth Roseman, the story is unfortunately too long and drawn out at 2 hours and 40 minutes (including an intermission). Although I can certainly recommend this production, the preferred audience ought to be one already familiar with this time period and its luminaries. Had I known more about each of the characters in advance, the performance would have piqued my interest more.

“February House” is playing through March 2, 2025, at the Ethel M. Barber Theater, in the Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts, 30 Arts Circle Drive, on the Evanston Campus of Northwestern University.

Tickets: $8-$30.

Performance schedule: There are only two shows left:

Saturday, 3/1 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, 3/2 at 2:00 p.m.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: https://ci.ovationtix.com/1771/production/1203981.

*I am reminded of John Adams who once wrote, “I must study Politicks and War that my sons may have liberty to study Painting and Poetry Mathematicks and Philosophy.” In contrast, I would argue the reverse: that art is rooted to the history and politics of the era in which it is created, disseminated, or revived. There is no ideal as the purity of art for art’s sake, because then it loses its relevance and its grounding. But here, I digress.