<b>HUNDRED DAYS</b> Daemen College/MusicalFare Theatre SpeakupWNY | Buffalo NY and Buffalo News

Through August 4
HUNDRED DAYS Daemen College/MusicalFare Theatre

Think about this: You are sitting in a doctor’s office and she says you have one hundred days to live. What would you do?
Some might not believe.
Some might fall on the floor and cry.
Some might head out and tell no one.
Some might decide to do the best they can in those last days.
I have known people who have received similar news and I know doctors who have delivered that news.
Probably most of us have, although you might not know it.
The premise of “Hundred Days” is a couple who want to live their lives as if they have received that message.
That includes a section of this long one-act musical when the two leads believe that’s what’s happening to the male lead.
This is another of those MusicalFare shows where the performers on stage are acting and playing musical instruments.
The leads are Nick Stevens (Shaun Bengson) and Samantha Sugarman (Abigail Bengson), making up a musical group called The Bengsons.
The two, along with Sarah Gancher, put the show together.
Shaun and Abigail both come from bad backgrounds and bailed early to get away.
They met in New York City, rehearsing for a show and within hours are a couple and, within days, a married couple.
They start to build a relationship through music.
Stevens and Sugarman are the key performers, with strong backup work from Anna Krempholtz music director Theresa Quinn, Kevin Stevens and Jay Wollin.
Krempholtz is particularly strong with “Marching in the Wrong Parade.”
These are two young people marching into life and eventually into parenthood, while not really sure what’s going on.
That’s true when Shaun becomes so injured in a car crash, he might die and time becomes short.
This is all a look at people just starting into adult lives although this pair might argue that they actually started that journey much earlier because of their family circumstances and departures.
The music isn’t your customary chords for a musical.
It’s somewhat dissonant, with lots of guitar work.
The songs are in keeping with the show, “My Skin is Made of a Thousand Doors,” “I Will Wait for You,” “Lie Next to Me,” “The Years Go By” and “I’ll Keep Walking.”
That one is probably the theme of the entire show, as The Bengsons head through life, knowing that someday the roof might fall in.
They keep walking.
Apparently, this was a passion project for director Susan Drozd and it shows in the details and the overall quality of the show.
It’s all performed on a nice and effective set from Chris Cavanagh, with mood lighting from Brian Cavanagh.
“Hundred Days” is a little different for a musical but it is worth seeing and in some of the weather we have had, watching the characters deal with life in an air conditioned theater isn’t a bad we to spend time.

A.W.