Unraveled, unkempt, unapologetic: Kokandy’s 'Hundred Days' makes merry music of mourning

[Editor's note in the interest of disclosure: Patrick O'Brien, co-sound designer and engineer for Hundred Days, is a contributor to this site.]

As leaves fall, as weather grows colder, and as skies darken at 4:30, ovens warm in preparation for another pandemic holiday season. Such times warrant reflection on seasons past, to remember all that’s been loved, all that’s been lost, and all that may hang in the space between. In this vein of holding space for the joys and pains of the heart, Kokandy Productions presents an existential query: how would you live as if you only had one hundred days left?

Hundred Days is an actor-musician musical memoir with songs by the folk-punk duo The Bengsons and book by the band in tandem with Sarah Gancher. It tells the true story of how Abigail and Shaun Bengson met, struggled with deep-seated trauma and anxiety, and then married, all within the span of three weeks. Through their rich and often experimental music, they dive into their ugly struggles, their beautiful reconciliations, consolidating their meeting into a raw, vulnerable, overwhelming, and sweet concert of seventy-five minutes.

Due to the intensity of the subject matter and narrative styling, this musical is not for the faint of heart. While told truthfully and intimately, the tonal extremes of Hundred Days’ story are as fascinating as they are perturbing. Part concert, part musical, part performance-art piece, Hundred Days is dense in content and an abundant feast for the senses; the frenetic and disparate pieces of this musical work well to inhabit the emotional disarray and scrappy folk-punk aesthetic. These unkempt aspects are made whole through shared thematic simplicity. Sweet ballads and dread-filled howling alike are centered in the exploration of life’s joys and its grief. The relationship between living and losing is a critical debate the Bengsons set to stage, resonantly answered with the joyful acceptance of pain as part of the package.

Hundred Days is dynamic, domestic, and frantic, which director Lucky Stiff  takes in enthusiastic stride. Lucky Stiff deftly weaves through the innocent intimacy of burgeoning romance, the jubilation of music-making, and the distress of grief. Carefully crafted imagery artfully eases the audience into the vulnerability of two people navigating their way through life; from tender lying down on the floor, to a literal river of salt being poured onto the stage, Lucky Stiff shapes a profound theatrical experiment upon the thrust staging of the Chopin Theater’s basement.

Music direction by Matthew Muñiz is a delightful masterclass in ensemble orchestration. Each performer on stage is both vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, and each takes a turn demonstrating their prowess. Orchestrated thoughtfully and performed cohesively, Muñiz spins a tight-woven tapestry of sound.

The luxury of a talented and connected cast makes the massive undertaking of this musical all the more rewarding. Melanie Vitaterna, Grace Bobber, Lucas “Looch” Johnson, Brennan rubi, and David Gordon-Johnson comprise a triple-threat ensemble of musicians, actors, and singers all. Choreographed by Collin Quinn Rice, this ensemble bounds into electric motion with fearless, precise, and effortless engagement.

Emilie Modaff is a powerhouse of a singer and a gut-wrenchingly vulnerable band leader as Abigail Bengson. Unafraid and uncensored, Modaff is dauntless to the challenge of inhabiting the fear and desire of a person in love fractured by trauma. Their performance is undeniable in its volume and energy.

Alec Phan portrays Shaun Bengson with endearing sensitivity and nuance. Whether plucking on mandolin, jamming on guitar, or simply holding conversation at a table, Phan’s energy onstage is unwaveringly tender and abundantly warm. (Royen Kent plays the role at select performances.)

A talented production team rounds out Kokandy’s roster. Jackie Fox presents deceptively simple scenic design as a canvas for her stellar lighting design in tandem with Henry Muller. Masterful compositions of light elevate moments of hope and despair alike; Fox’s and Muller’s lighting is unreal in its transformative quality given the constraints of the space.

With a killer cast to tackle this scrappy emotional whirlwind of a musical, Hundred Days is refreshingly inventive and innovative in its storytelling. Its unabashed intensity leaves the impression that anything is possible, that people can do anything -- even overcome the great unrelenting maw between life and death. Perhaps the dark and cold spaces of life are as joyful as they are scary.

Hundred Days runs through January 9th at The Chopin Theater, 1543 W Division St. For tickets or more information, please click kokandyproductions.com.

Patrons are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test, along with valid photo ID, upon arrival. Additionally, patrons must wear proper face coverings upon entry, while seated during the performance and when not actively eating or drinking in the lobby spaces. Early arrival is recommended, and patrons should be ready to present this information as they enter.

Photos by Evan Hanover.