Off-Off-Broadway
21 December 2025
Matinee
Written and directed by Stephan Morrow, The Story Of Sal B. And Barbranne (A Mob Fantasia), is a “Cyrano Redux”. It’s a re‑imagining of the classic tale set 100 years in the future and after World War III. The mob has merged itself with the United States Military as the country battles with “Eastern enemies” over oil found in the Middle East. As well as the traditional story of unrequited love.
I had some difficulty applying the word “fantasia” to this show. I relate that more to works that are only music. While music is present at times, the majority of the play is dialogue based with songs often setting the mood as scenes change. Many of the songs chosen were famously sung by members of the Rat Pack. In a directorial choice that I absolutely adored, George Lugo, the actor who plays Sal’s closest friend Sy, sang each and every one of these songs live. His voice is phenomenal and never once did it sound tired or felt overdone.
The play follows the titular character of Sal (Joseph Patrick Marshall), a distinguished soldier who has just returned home from his last deployment and a reporter named Barbranne (Donata O’Niell), who is intent on getting her story, but can’t say no to a potential chance at love.
The characters of Sal and Barbranne fill the classic roles of Cyrano and Roxane. Sal’s face has been disfigured in war, which is an effective change from the potentially problematic big nose traditionally associated with Cyrano. I found the choice to make the age gap between the two characters evident from the start to be a tasteful one. While the ages are not as prominent in Edmond Rostand’s original play, it is the main reason that Sal is hesitant to try and pursue Barbranne romantically himself.
I wish I had understood more clearly why the US Military was in the Middle East. The aspect of oil was lost on me and I thought the fighting was over land and properties that the military wished to keep control of. The main aspect I was able to take away was that women were going to be forced into sex slavery, as a comfort to the soldiers (which, unfortunately, has historical accuracy).
The show itself almost had a space western/Star Wars vibe. I found the character of Sal reminded me of Han Solo perhaps a bit too much. With this connection being made, the poetry that Sal comes up with and states with such passion, almost felt out of character. I would like to have been shown more of Sal’s backstory so that his layered nature was more apparent throughout.
Unfortunately, I did not catch the names of the majority of the characters and the playbill did not include all of them. For example, the character of Paul Jr. is simply not listed next to any of the actors names. I do generally prefer to have all of the characters and actors names, especially presented in an easily understandable way. I wonder if the size of the cast itself (11 actors) may have played a factor in me not catching the character’s names.
The set was fairly extensive and utilised the entirety of the stage, allowing for quick scene changes and the ability to show a variety of locations. Across the stage were various set pieces: a chair downstage, a bed upstage, a love seat centre, a large table with at least six chairs, and a bench. While I loved seeing so much, I also found it hard to keep track of where specific characters were at times. Without defined borders for some of the set pieces, I had difficulty distinguishing if characters left the room or even the building they were in or not. At times, I believed a character had gone outside and was caught off guard when they could see, hear, and interact with the people they had just left without “reentering” the building.
Stephan Morrow, with the collaboration of Saho Ito as the directorial assistant, sound designer Joy Linscheid, and light designer Elijah Smith, brings a new twist to an old classic. The Story Of Sal B. And Barbranne (A Mob Fantasia) does tell the story of Cyrano de Bergerac, but in a futuristic setting. Similar to how West Side Story reimagines Romeo and Juliet, the audience does not need to be familiar with the original play to enjoy this one.