The Good Fight - The Wonder from Down Under?

The Good Fight plays something like a PBS educational special crossed with the most trite of anti-war flicks, but why shouldn't it? An insert in the program informs the audience that this tour of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts show was funded by the Australian Govenment. But though the show ultimately plays like a school production, there is much to admire in what they bill as this "epic about boxing, battle, and what makes a hero."

Following the story of famed Australian fighter Les Darcy and childhood friend Charlie Faulkner as they deal with the politics of WW1 in Australia and beyond, The Good Fight is blessed with a strong story and some extremely powerful moments. The first act is less entertaining than the second, spending far too much time (yet with not enough focus on characters, if they insist on featuring it) on Darcy's childhood and rise to fame as a boxer. Often the parallel drawn between boxing and war and the titular 'good fight' is a little too heavy handed but at times (like the haunting penultimate scene) it is written with flair and played beautifully.

The cast and crew of The Good Fight, as I understand it, flew in from Australia at the beginning of this week and fly back soon after Sunday's final performance. With such a short time in New York, and playing to a sadly empty house, it's no wonder that many of the young actors showed their nerves while singing, with wandering and vacant eyes betraying them. There's no denying their talent, but confidence will come with experience, and they were unable to completely lose themselves into their characters. Special mention must be made of Gareth Keegan (playing Les) whose gorgeous tenor carried many of the songs and Chrystal de Grussa as his conflicted mother.

The few ensemble shows I've seen at NYMF so far (and work on The Last Starfighter) have led me to appreciate the beauty in a full and lush harmony of twenty or so voices, something I feel is rarely seen on the Broadway stage these days. (Coram Boy, I miss you!) The Good Fight has this in spades, and some great songs. But I think the ultimate problem is the intention - though by the end of the show I realized I had enjoyed it, it took a long while to warm to it, and I think that's in good part because I couldn't find the target audience. I assume my parents (fussy though they are) would have enjoyed it greatly, and that's a demographic not many writers are aiming for in their work. Who does the Good Fight really appeal to? It's a shame that what could be a strong show will likely be forgotten in New York by the time NYMF ends.