September 14th, 2011 
James Gardiner as Fenton, Stephen Gregory Smith as Billy Argo and and Margo Seibert as Caroline (Photo Credit: Scott Suchman)
“The Boy Detective Fails” at Signature Theatre is a magical and fun musical! It is based on the novel by Joe Meno. With music and lyrics composed by Adam Gwon, this show is about hope and redemption.
Stephen Gregory Smith, who plays the lead character Billy Argo, is phenomenal and adorable. Smith does so much running around and jumping, I am not sure how he does it and then on top of it all he sings and dances. As if that wasn’t enough of a challenge, Smith is in EVERY scene. Smith does a great job staying in character as a boy and his facial expressions are hilarious. While wearing a blue vest and carrying his looking glass to find clues, he delivers his lines very deadpan and earnestly.
Billy Argo as a boy was a genius boy detective assisted by his co-horts his sister Caroline Argo played very well by Margo Seibert, and his enthusiastic friend Fenton played expertly by James Gardiner. Seibert has a beautiful voice. Gardiner does a great job as a goofy side kick. Unfortunately tragedy strikes and the group is no more. Billy valiantly tries to solve one last mystery. Billy finds a little romance with a fellow troubled soul Penny Maple played beautifully by Anika Larsen. Highlight is when she dances by herself as Billy watches her secretly. Billy also must fight off the crazy scientist Professor Von Golum, Thomas Adrian Simpson, who is trying to kill him if he doesn’t help him solve his riddle to find his treasure. Those two together are really funny!! Simpson has a great baritone voice and his professor reminds me of Christopher Lloyd’s character from “Back to the Future” movies.
Billy Argo (Stephen Gregory Smith) looks through an old diary. "The Boy Detective Fails" (Photo Credit: Scott Suchman)
The set is very clever made up of houses that are boxes that one can climb into. The music is very catchy and beautiful. My favorite song was the one where Penny tells Billy to solve one small mystery at a time.
Joe Meno, the novelist of the play shared the background on the show, “I began writing the novel in 2003- a few years after the events of September 11th and during the lead up to the Iraq War. I had grown up in the US during such a prosperous, safe time and suddenly the world felt incredibly threatening, incredibly disordered. Any time I have a question in my life, any time I’m unsure, I always go back to books, or music for the answers. This time I went back to the books I had read as a child that had made everything seem so safe: The Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown. I began to wonder how these child detectives- who, as children always had the answers- would do facing the questions of the modern world.”
After the show there was a reception and a Q&A with the playwrights and composers for the donors of the Signature Theatre. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was in attendance as well. ”The Boy Detective Fails” and “The Hollow” are musicals both being performed at the same time at the theater. It is utilizing the same cast members for both productions and the same orchestra. Hunter Foster, the playwright of “The Hollow” complimented the actors on being true professionals and never complaining about having to do two plays at once.
During the fascinating Q&A it was learned that putting on both productions at once costs about $1 million dollars which is very small compared to a Broadway production. Over 80 people are involved in both productions. Foster loves being at Signature for the artistic freedoms it allows. Composer Adam Gwon shared how “The Boy Detective Fails” came to be. He contacted the writer of the novel who also happened to produce a play of the novel at the same time. Meno enthusiastically sent the play to Gwon who was very relieved by that as playwrighting is not his speciality. He then composed the music to accompany the play. Several changes had been made to the play, but to do that creates quite a bit of rework. Changes to the orchestra, the lines, etc are a huge headache, but no one is ever satisfied with their masterpiece. They are always trying to find ways to make it better. Luckily for the actors and orchestra the plays are now frozen and no more changes will be implemented.
“The Boy Detective Fails” is highly recommended. It is entertaining, fun, sweet, and clever. Loved it!
WHEN: Now through October 16
WHERE:
Signature Theatre
4200 Campbell Ave.
Arlington, Virginia 22206
Ph. 703-820-9771
TICKETS:
Call Ticketmaster at 703-573-SEAT or the Signature Box Office at 703-820-9771.
Click here to order online.
Visit the Box Office during business hours
$30 rush tickets are sold one hour prior to every performance on a first-come, first-served basis, two per person. Subject to availability.
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