*Note: As per the performance eligibility requirements laid out here, this production is not up for HRACT Award consideration.*

There is something innate inside of me that wants to be part of “firsts” or “exclusives”.  I can’t explain it.  The opening of a new Raising Cane’s in Norfolk?  Count me in.  An exclusive Disney pin available only for a few weeks?  I must have it.  That exclusive Rip Tide snow globe giveaway at Harbor Park?  In my calendar, holding the date for weeks beforehand.

Perhaps this is part of why I love live theater – it is knowing that only a few lucky people get to experience this show on this night… and once it is gone, it is gone.  And the double draw of live theater with a brand new, first time it has been fully staged musical, like “Dr. Smile”, playing now at Zeiders American Dream Theater?  I couldn’t miss it.

And so it was as we walked into the Main Stage at the Z to see a show about a dentist, Dr. Valli Meeks, and how her Maryland clinic became a beacon of hope for the AIDS stricken community (with the funny touch of what must be a fellow ‘90s kid picking the pre-show playlist which included the classic “Shiny Teeth and Me” from The Fairly Oddparents).  Writing a musical is no small task, and “Dr. Smile” is no exception – it has been a full five years since the first draft of the show came to the Z, and it is not until now that a full staging has come to fruition.  But the patience and work of writers Clyde Santana, Kira Sarai Helper, and Dr. Valli Meeks herself has paid off, as the show is full of catchy tunes with driving beats and strong hooks, funny one liners (“I guess teeth run in the family”), and moments of poignancy (“you’d think this business of losing people would get easier… but it never does”).

The Z consistently finds casts who are fantastic at showing off the potential for what the new shows on their stages can become – and it doesn’t hurt that “Dr. Smile” has a director in Sharon Cook whom everyone in the community seems to want to work with.  Robyn Riddick is our leading D.D.S. – and when she gets the look of inspiration and determination in her eyes as the music builds in the song “Start”, you can’t help but get on board with her character’s vision of what the world could look like.  Riddick seems to understand what it is like to find the joy in helping someone that Meeks clearly had when she does a little jig in “Brand New Smile”, and when she dances with two of those tiny mirrors on sticks that dentists use in the second act, even the most hardened members of the audience will smile. 

The fun of helping those in need really permeates the first act.  There is something comedic about when Dr. Valli turns the patients around in the dental chair on stage, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.  Is it the little music behind the sound of dental drills and, as my dentist always called it, Mr. Thirsty?  Or the mumbled babbling of the patients, so familiar as you try to maintain a conversation with your dentist, mouth wide open?  Or just the strange sensation of watching someone else’s dental visit – turning what has, in my experience, always been a duet, or at most a trio, into an ensemble moment?  No matter what it is, these little bits of comedy are only emphasized by Dr. Meeks’ dental hygienist Judy, played by Alexandra Fleshman.  Fleshman is the embodiment of the salt-of-the-earth, hardworking and supportive assistant, always there for you, and never needing to be asked twice to take the rest of the night off.  And Meeks’ mom, whom Valli lovingly calls “Mudder”, is always just a phone call away, with actress Indya Jackson skillfully weaving together supportive vibes with what feels like a whole lifetime of frustration that can come from raising a dreamer who often forgets something at home.

Specifically, the show focuses on three patients who each have their own stories of activism, using their skills to move the AIDS epidemic towards what we all hope will be a permanent conclusion.  Most fabulously, there is Carlton Ray Smith, played by Terrence J. Bennett.  Bennett can really dance, and when he takes on his Duchess alter-ego in the up tempo “Don’t Get the Duchess Mad”, you too will feel inclined to “channel the Duchess” next time you need to bring the confidence.  Meanwhile, Andreas Wyder plays Jim, the charismatic economist who helps support the clinic on the financial side of things.  Wyder has such an expressive face that it is hard to take your eyes off him, and his voice naturally pushes to the forefront of the sound in a wonderfully harmonious way.  Last but not least is the shy and creatively inclined Jon Eikenberg, played appropriately with loving spirit and an understated persona by Emir Garcia, complete with his strong artist hands and kind heart.

While Dr. Meeks is in the middle of the plot of this show, in many ways she just happens to be the vessel through which the people around her come together to form a more complete community.  And that is this show’s true power – bringing the stories of the AIDS-stricken community, and their allies, to the fore – toothbrush in their hands, and songs in their hearts.  So here’s to the everyday heroes – you won’t be forgotten. 

And – don’t forget to floss either.