Review of The Wild Party

by Lori Perkins

I was genuinely excited to see The Wild Party at City Center on Community Night, especially with the promise of a pre-show “wild party” featuring champagne and appetizers. The atmosphere was festive, though the entertainment itself felt a bit uneven—two bawdy musical numbers (one centered on a nightclub assault, which felt jarringly out of step with expectations) alongside two elegant and engaging burlesque performances.

Then came the main event.

Based on a 1920s poem and adapted into a musical in the early 2000s, The Wild Party brings together a large ensemble, a lush orchestra, and a decadent, chaotic night inside a New York City apartment. The show captures a whirl of excess—bathtub gin, cocaine, and tangled, often taboo relationships—creating a vivid sense of time and place. Visually, it’s striking: the set, costumes, and cast are all impressive and richly realized.

That said, the storytelling can feel overwhelming. With so many characters and intersecting dynamics, it’s sometimes difficult to stay grounded amid the frenzy. While the piece is undeniably fascinating, it didn’t fully come together for me in the way I had hoped.

Some of the artistic choices also felt more distracting than illuminating. In particular, the depiction of the “Mooch” character in blackface—contrasted with the historical note that the female lead was originally portrayed as Black in “whiteface”—raised questions for me. Rather than offering a clear or thoughtful commentary, these elements came across as more performative than purposeful, leaving an uncomfortable impression.

Ultimately, it was an intriguing evening of theater—visually compelling, musically ambitious, and thought-provoking in its portrayal of a not-so-distant era in American life. Even if it didn’t entirely succeed for me, it’s certainly a production that lingers in the mind.