Signature Theatre

From House of Cards to the almost-better-than-fiction Republican Presidential Primary debates, there are ample choices for politics-themed entertainment. This month Signature Theatre jumps in the mix with their dark comedy rock musical The Fix. The Fix is a story of the Chandlers; a political family that lost everything, and the one mother who had no choice but to keep them all together. It may seem absurd to borrow lines from Arrested Development in this context, but I couldn’t help noticing the connections. The fall of a patriarch, the reluctant son drawn into a position of great responsibility, and the emotionally manipulative mother are all present.

The Chandlers are a Kennedy-esque family living in an ambiguous era of recent US history. The son Cal (played by Mark Evans) has a fondness for the rock and roll lifestyle and very few political aspirations. He is pulled out of his cushy life when his father unceremoniously dies right before becoming president. Ever the opportunist, his mother Violet (played by Christine Sherrill) and his Uncle Graham (played by Lawrence Redmond) pull Cal out of his haze and enlist him. Constantly craving his mother’s approval, Cal goes along with the game.

Nothing in this show is subtle, just as nothing in politics is subtle.

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