By Marilyn Lester***Long ago in a country far away, Penelope, married to King Odysseus of Ithaca, waits for his return from the Trojan Wars. The problem is, Odysseus has been gone for 20 years—a pretty long time to keep the faith, or so think the various suitors who’ve shown up at court, ready to claim the Queen’s hand and take control of the kingdom. This is the basis of a new musical comedy at the York Theatre, based on Homer’s Odyssey, entitled Penelope, or How the Odyssey Was Really Written. It’s a goofy sendup—and herein is its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. The comedy is farcical and amusing, if not mildly funny—a recipe that can appeal to those wanting a simple, carefree, evening of entertainment without grand expectations. But its broadness may not appeal to sophisticated theatergoers who expect sharper wit, bigger laughs and a more enriching experience.
The original, an epic poem, written nearly three millennia ago, attributed to the lyric poet, Homer (who may or may not have really existed), is a long, complex work meant to be performed orally. The idea for Penelope, or How the Odyssey Was Really Written sprang from the mind of Peter Kellogg, who wrote the book and lyrics, with very pleasant music by Stephen Weiner. (Kellogg is half of the team that wrote the successful York production of Desperate Measures whose music was by David Friedman). But stripping the Odyssey down to a central notion leaves a lot of dramatic gaps to fill.
To stall her suitors, in Kellogg’s version of events, Penelope writes letters to herself and pretends they’re from Odysseus saying he’s on his way. It’s a clever premise, especially in noting that future generations will never know, allowing Homer to claim authorship. Britney Nicole Simpson as Penelope is dramatically and vocally strong, making the most of her part. “The Letter from Aeolia” and “The Man That I Married” immediately show her strengths. She is aided and abetted by Eurycleia, Odysseus’ nurse, played by Leah Hocking with a winning combination of serious fun.
As to those suitors: Cooper Howell as Antinous, David LaMarr as Mileter, Jacob Simon as Bassanio, George Slotin as Haius and Sean Thompson as Barius, with little to do beyond feasting, form an a cappella do-op singing group. The device is comical on the first go-round, but the joke goes thin 
thereafter. Emily Maltby might have been thinking “camp” in directing these suitors, but their antics merely come off as consistently “gay.” The sexual innuendo dotted throughout Penelope often lands poorly, particularly in this context. The sum total effect is repetitive, adding little to the story.
By contrast, in 2005, novelist Margaret Atwood wrote the successful The Penelopiad in which Penelope reminisces on the events of the Odyssey, continually interrupted by a Greek Chorus of 12 maids. Their interludes include a lament, an idyll, a jump-rope song, a lecture, a court trial, a ballad, and several other types of songs—commenting on inequality between the sexes and the classes, and the fairness of justice, thus offering a lot of substance (with humor) and keeping the richness of the original Odyssey intact.
The characterization of Telemachus, son of Penelope and Odysseus is also well-played by an appealing Philippe Arroyo. He’s an anti-hero who faints at the sight of blood. Sent early on to the local abattoir to 
secure meat, he is torn between the slaughter of pigs (the five suitors comically in hog masks) and his attraction to the slaughterer, Daphne, played by the bright and charismatic Maria Wirries, as they sing “Faint.” Inevitably, Odysseus appears in Act Two, washed up on the shores of Ithaca, to be discovered by his now grown son. And you guessed it—he proves his identity to the young man by telling a story about the child Telemachus fainting at the sight of blood. Ben Jacoby as a regal Odysseus delivers a beautiful ballad, “Home Again,” with authenticity, before pretending to be the blind poet, Homer, to get the lay of the land—and then dealing with dispatching the suitors and convincing Penelope of his identity (“Something in His Touch”).
It’s only at the end of Penelope that any substance appears in the work—reached by several false endings. Penelope, now showing her colors as a feminist warrior, confronts Odysseus with an ultimatum and declaration of her worth. Herein is a missed opportunity to infuse and seed Penelope with concepts that would have supported this particular ending and given the entirety of the piece the strength it needs (along 
with richer opportunities for humor). Of course, all’s well that ends well, and the couple promise to try to rebuild their relationship (“I’m Not Sure I Remember How”).
The Penelope orchestra excelled, with music director David Hancock Turner on piano, Gregory Jones on upright and electric bass, Allison Seidner on cello and John Skinner and Mike Raposo playing reeds. Excellent and atmospheric lighting design was by David Sexton, sound design by Brad Ward, scenic design by James Morgan and costume design by Lex Liang.
The limited engagement continues through Sunday afternoon, April 24, 2022 at 2:30PM. For further information and tickets, visit www.yorktheatre.org
Penelope plays at The York’s temporary home, The Theatre at St. Jeans, 150 East 76th Street, between Lexington and Third Avenues, NYC.
More photos from Penelope, or How the Odyssey Was Really Written. All photos by Carol Rosegg
