Ben is a schlump if not a schlemiel, writing copy for coloring books (!) while dreaming of the Major Novel he's going to compose and failing to follow through on the affection he feels for his equally unhappy colleague, Maggie. Then he clicks a link and a portal opens and guy named Masterful says he'll help Ben realize all his dreams, no strings attached. Well, turns out there are strings. The rest of this untidy, funny new musical satire by Peter Gwinn (book and lyrics) and Jody Shelton (music) concerns Ben and Maggie's struggle to foil Masterful before he can cliche-ify the world (I mean, more than it already is). The cast of director-choreographer Christopher Pazdernik's Underscore Theatre production cover a lot of ground skillwise, but the upper end is strong. Similarly, the script runs from puerile to witty, with witty winning often enough to give it charm. —Tony Adler

Price: $20