By Parker Sargent

David Auxier has penned a musical called The Engaygement, that keeps with the tradition of Gilbert and Sullivan (clearly his greatest influences), but brings their style of humor and pathos into the twenty-first century. With a cast of only six performers, Auxier has found a way to tell a big story of depth and jubilation, while packed onto the tiny stage of the Metropolitan Room.

“It’s just another night at the gay bar”, as the opening song explains, “everyone’s a slut of a piece of meat”. Immediately the scene is set to say this is not a stuffy musical about old world antics, it is a modern take on relationships and the pitfalls of finding that someone special. The characters may be gay, but we soon discover they are using different words to express the same heartache and desire that everyone has felt at one time or another in the harsh and horny world of dating.

Though the cast has only had a few rehearsals, you would never know it by the way they harmonize and play off of each other as if this were a seasoned show. The principle players, Auxier and Seph Stanek, compliment each other’s voices beautifully, while the supporting cast never misses a moment to shine in their solos and ensemble numbers. Chris-Ian Sanchez in particular, fills the stage with his sparkling smile and atomically energetic vocals. Colleen Harris may be the only female in the cast, but her witty one-liners and playful bravado make her a stand out.

Moving quietly on and off the stage between each song, the actors help David tell this “inspired by life” story of two lover’s journey to marital bliss. Taking us from the moment they meet in a piano bar, through the self-sabotaging shenanigans that so many of us have fallen prey to when we are exposing our inner most feelings, to the inevitable engagement. But its no easy ride to the alter, as we discover through David’s diary entries (or as he says “journal entries, because it sounds more masculine than a diary”) and the narratives of the songs that he has written.

It’s not hard to buy into the romance when Stanek is singing his heart out. He easily maneuvers from seductively playful to brooding and moody, without ever seeming over the top. When he and Auxier are crooning about their relationship problems in “What Makes This So Hard?”, the emotion is thick and real, sucking you into their sorrow. And in his solo “No” we are inspired by Seph’s determination to face his insecurities and fight for the love he almost walked away from so easily.

At times the dialogue can seem sappy, but the acting is so genuine it simply comes off as the awkward banter of courtship. The slapstick comedy puns are peppered into well-written and heartfelt moments just enough to not become too corny.

Without giving away the ending, by the time we reach the engagement, we have invested in this couple and are cheering for their love. The musical arrangement of Mark York moves us through the relationship’s rollercoaster of emotions and the gleeful gestures of tenderness.

David Auxier is giving his all every second of the show, after all it is his “labor of love” and he wants us to surrender our cynical New York City sensibilities to fully engage in this tale of two people (who could be gay or straight) battling their inner demons to find happiness. His voice is honed after years of performing in shows like Pirates of Penzance and HMS Pinafore, yet he comes across as an average guy in love, who happens to reflect his thoughts and emotions through song.

While there are several inside jokes about musical theater and the dating life of gay men, viewers don’t need to be “in on the joke” to understand the humor. The show moves too quickly to leave anyone behind, and there’s always another punch line just seconds away in this tightly woven tale.

The production was inspired by Auxier’s real-life relationship, but Seph Stanek’s performance makes it seem impossible that it wasn’t written specifically for him.  He is cute and charismatic, projecting his passion not only to David, but to everyone in the audience as well.

This barebones first run is proof that David Auxier’s new musical is destined for a bigger stage, but pomp and circumstance (and a set) aren’t needed to experience this energetic and endearing story of love.