Utopia at the St. James Theater – audience member thoughts

The last performance of David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway was Sunday, April 3, 2022. It was bittersweet. Standing outside the stage door, waiting for the cast to exit for the last time with me, is 7-year-old Aiden Doshi. He hopes to get the remaining cast member’s autographs he could not get the day before. Instead of a pizza box he used after seeing the cast exit the stage door the previous night to get autographs, he attended the show and has an actual Playbill tonight. Top on his list of autographs to nab – is David Byrne, or as Aiden refers to him, the “Burn.”

Aiden Doshi, after scoring his first autograph with love from Angie Swan. Photo Credit: Deepti Doshi (Aiden’s mother).

I attended with my associate Melissa Heche, critic, comedian, cabaret performer, and audiologist. It was her last role that got us to this show – she fitted the band for stage earpieces. She met the performers in her office and shot goop into their ears to make molds. When I mentioned I was heading over to see the last performance in limited seating, she wanted in. My seat is for people 5’3″ and under. There is no legroom in the rafters, but I had a seat—finally, a benefit for being short. I headed over to the theater an hour before showtime and called Heche to high tail it over as there were a few remaining seats that patrons returned. We watched the show from opposite ends of the theater.

Everything is gray in David Byrne’s `Utopia. The suits, the instruments played Byrne’s hair, and even the gray subject matter he ponders – the brain. Byrne’s cynicism is transparent. From Utopia upside down to discussing his motivation for including songs. “Everybody is Coming to My House” was previously introduced as being sung sweet and inclusively by a Detroit children’s choir. Tonight, we got Byrne’s version where he “wants people to go home already.”

At first, hearing Byrne open up the set shouting out songs was unnerving and out of pitch. Once the band kicked in, it was enjoyable. Byrne was thrown out of his high school choir because he could not sing. He is high functioning on the autism spectrum and admits he has difficulty in social settings. All this adds to the show. As Byrne says, if it’s perfect, what is to discuss? In his usual manner, Byrne asks many questions and answers none. According to Byrne, it is not enough to merely perform anymore – there needs to be a message. This show was full of messages from getting out to vote, register, white guilt he feels, and the inclusivity of the band with the different countries they represent. All done as part of the show, not a straight lecture. He is too intelligent for that.

If you could not see the live performance on Broadway, Spike Lee captured it exceptionally well in the film of the same name. Lee states, “if you don’t record it, it’s gone forever.” Lee incorporates pictures of those fallen held in some cases by their loved ones as part of “Hell You Talmbout,” originally done by Janelle Monáe. He includes footage backstage and a wonderful montage of the cast biking off into NYC after the show. Watch even if you saw the show on Broadway for all the extras, closeups, and behind-the-scenes workings.

Byrne is also collaborating on a children’s book of the same name.

Big score Chris Giarmo from Paramus N.J. is posing with Doshi. Photo credit: Deepti Doshi (Aiden’s mother).

Security at the stage door. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

The scene down the block outside the St. James Theater advertising The Music Man and NYC iconic roof water cisterns. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

Aiden Doshi and Angie Swan from Wisconsin at the stage door. Photo credit: Deepti Doshi (Aiden’s mother).

Tim Keiper gave Dr. Heche a big hug of thanks. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

Tim Keiper, Daniel Freedman, and Abe Nouri gave a shout out of appreciation to their audiologist Dr. Heche. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

Aiden scores again with Bobby Whooten III. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

Daniel Freedman, Abe Nouri, and Bobby Whooten III at the stage door. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

Abe Nouri and Bobbi Whooten III at the stage door. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

Jacquelene Acevedo is signing Aiden’s Playbill. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster

Mauro Refosco with a bouquet from the final curtain at the stage door as security applauds. The last time to leave this door was their bittersweet farewell. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

Aiden is taking inventory of his autographs. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

Chris Eddleton unsuccessfully tried to run out the stage door. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

Final curtain call with technicians Byrne called onto the stage. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

Utopia Final Show

No intermission – get a double. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

No intermission – get a double. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.

No sooner did the show begin than it was over. Off was Byrne on his bike into the gray cityscape; no autographs, parting words, or farewells. When Utopia arrives, Doshi will have to get the “Burn’s” signature.

The guy on a bike with white hair is none other than David Byrne exiting the stage door right after the last performance on 4/3/2022. Photo credit: Elizabeth Ann Foster.