Poor Josh Cohen (Joseph Donahue III). His apartment is robbed, and all he’s left with is a Hang in There cat calendar. He never gets the girl. Dresses like grunge is the latest fashion.

When Life Gives You Lemons

Poor Josh Cohen (Joseph Donahue III). His apartment is robbed, and all he’s left with is a Hang in There cat calendar. He never gets the girl. Dresses like grunge is the latest fashion. Has an unfortunate mustache. Can’t catch a break. But that was last year. There’s another Josh Cohen (Zak Ward) – well, the same Josh Cohen a year later. He seems much happier, more together, a bit of a jokester, lost the lip foliage. This Josh Cohen narrates the past year in his life. The two Josh Cohens chat with each other throughout the story of their/his past year, centered around the worst Valentine’s Day ever.

In this quirky, sometimes laugh-out-loud musical that is a delight from start to finish, Josh Cohen faces himself and a moral dilemma, meets surprising people, real and fantastical, real but fantastical, and generally sorts things out.

Making the Gods Laugh

Along for the ride, and playing many parts and musical instruments, are Music Director Theresa Quinn, Brandon Barry, Solange Gosselin, and Robert Insana. They have fine-tuned their various roles, from a kitty-cat with a hairball to the Dark Lord, two Jewish mothers, a Jewish father, members of a girl cover band called She Street Band, a famous singer, and many more. They each bring a freshness and the sense that they are having a very good time as they pick up different instruments and take on “Several Other Characters” as the playbill informs us. Josh Cohen interacts with them all as he navigates his pitiful existence, feeling sorry for himself, particularly regarding women, who he adores, but with whom he just cannot quite get it right.

Joseph Donahue III, who says “I’m here to make the gods laugh”, makes us laugh as he agonizes over his plight, and struggles with what to do with the unexpected windfall he receives in the mail one day from someone who could be his relative, as his “horndog immigrant” great-grandfather was quite fond of the ladies (Samuel Cohen’s Family Tree). His attempts to chat up women he meets – all in the form of the lovely and talented Ms. Gosselin – are sweet and so very clumsy. He sings his heart out and you find yourself rooting for him and wanting him to finally get the girl, any girl.

Contagious Good Energy

Zak Ward takes a more satirical approach to his counterpart, teasing and joking about his plight, all with a twinkle in his eye, as he knows what happens (“losing everything is Only the Beginning”) and we can’t wait to find out.

The 13 songs speak to Josh’s desires, failures, and ethical conflict. With titles like Neil Life (Neil life is better than real life), Manly Purple Tie, and What If? Josh et al ponder the vagaries of existence. It isn’t giving anything away to say that he finds the joy that dwells beneath all his struggles, as he hangs in there until he makes the right choices for himself.

Directed with a sure hand a great sense of humor by Artistic/Executive Director Randall Kramer, with an expert production team, this 90-minute romp will leave you smiling and cheering for all the Josh Cohens. Its exuberance is contagious, and its message heartfelt. Enjoy!