Stackner Cabaret’s Enjoyable ‘Route 66’

The Milwaukee Rep’s Stackner Cabaret concludes itsseason with Route 66, Roger Bean’smusical tribute to the open road. The musical starts with the all-male,four-member cast singing at a service station in Chicagoand follows them along the legendary stretch of concrete all the way to California. Like anyroad trip, there are moments that blur together. But overall this is a veryenjoyable ride.

With no real plot beyond the road trip, it would beall too easy for the four guys to appear like one, big, homogenous mass by thefinal curtain. Thankfully, the men are distinct enough to keep the songsinteresting even in those rare moments when the tunes aren’t as compelling.

Zachary Dylan Robbins is the big guy with the beardwho lends a great deal of personality to the trucker somewhere around St. Louis as the guyssing “Six Days on the Road.” Danny Calvert has the perfect emotional poise foran intimate, straight-ahead style of musical revue. On the way from Tulsa to Amarillo,he sings solo on a really sweet and simple rendition of “Oklahoma Hills.” Andit’s just not a Rep cabaret musical without cross-dressing. Adam Estes has thedistinction of making his most memorable appearance of the show in Texas as the titlecharacter in “Truck Stop Cutie.” Accompanied by the rest of the guys on spoons,he does a highly energetic tap in full costume as a classic diner waitress. Themost charismatic of the four ends up being Justin Robertson, a stocky guy ofversatile talent. For a brief moment somewhere around Barstow, the music fades out and everyone’ssinging along as he performs “King of the Road.”

The Rep’s Stackner Cabaret presents Route 66 through May 9.