The Wanderer takes audiences on a journey of trials of fame and triumph of human spirit, encapsulating a surprisingly timely reflection on humanity—all while doing right by the jukebox musical.
The biomusical captures the first decade of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dion DiMucci’s career, from his rise to fame to his battle with addiction, and the faith and love that turned his life around. Set to the iconic sound of 60s rock, Dion’s story proves to be prime theatrical material with emotion and grit, a spiral through addiction, and the pivotal point of rebirth.
The book spans 1958–1968, starting with Dion’s haunting decision to pull out of the ill-fated plane ride with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper. This event accelerates Dion’s spiral into addiction after living with the guilt that he talked Ritchie into taking his place and pulled out of the ride on the guise it was too expensive. Act I pulls back to the events leading up to that night, capturing Dion’s rise to fame. The second act begins just after the plane crash, and spans the bulk of Dion’s struggle with addiction, eventually leading to his recovery and comeback.
Mike Wartella gives an electrifying performance as Dion, walking the tightrope between basking in the glory of being a beloved singer and nearly being consumed by his own shadow. Wartella brings the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer to life in a way that is complex, compelling, and tangible to the audience. His spirit makes his character lovable, despite throwing punches and the facilitation of addiction. Wartella gives a standout performance in “King of the New York Streets,” “Teenager in Love,” and “The Wanderer,” along with many more timeless songs from Dion’s body of work.
Christy Altomare quickly captured hearts as Susan Butterfield, the story’s love interest and a pillar of strength in Dion’s life, later becoming his wife. Lighting up the stage with spirit and spunk—a trademark of Altomare’s craft—she embodies the complicated relationship of loving someone who is engulfed in darkness. I was surprised and moved by Altomare’s performance, especially caught off guard by how easily she stepped into Suzy’s shoes in some of the more emotional scenes between Suzy and Dion. Altomare has standout numbers in “The You I Know,” which was written in collaboration with Dion for the production, a soul-searching reprise of “Teenager in Love.”
Joey McIntyre gave an unexpected performance as Johnny, Dion’s devilish manager, who actively facilitates Dion’s drug use and spiral into addiction. The use of this character in the production was fascinating to me, and proves how theatre can be such an effective medium for storytelling. Johnny doesn’t interact with many—if any—of the other characters in the show and seems to exclusively come around when Dion is alone, manifesting as his conscience. McIntyre gives a standout performance in “Ride with You.”
The show is visually stunning, with elaborate automated sets, making the period piece feel fresh on the eyes. Vibrant set designs give the story a sense of place, and the full use of the stage with elaborate pieces that allow the performers to climb up and down set pieces throughout the show gives the piece visual texture and simulates realism. The set design felt very polished for an out-of-town production, which easily draws the audience into the story.
Sarah O’Gleby’s choreography is fresh and high energy, without feeling falling into cliche sock hop choreography to the period. The mix of high-energy numbers and softer numbers balance out to a robust performance with beautiful orchestrations by Sonny Paladino. The production is rounded out by expert direction from Kenneth Ferrone and a dynamic book from Charles Messina.
I went into this production nearly blind to the story and the music, since the cast was the main draw for me. I’ve really enjoyed taking chances on shows I’m unfamiliar with, and The Wanderer was no different. Going into it with very little knowledge really set me up to enjoy the story as it was presented. I’m not sure if I would have felt differently if I was a longtime fan of Dion’s, but many of the audience members around me seemed to be enjoying themselves, so I feel this production best encapsulated collaborating with Dion to tell his story in a way that remains true to him and developing a show that is compelling to a broad audience.
Rolling off the Pandemic, I think this story is refreshing and very powerful. For as much of the story is a trial for Dion, it’s Susan’s faith in him that ultimately turns his life around. I think after nearly two years of seeing the worst of humanity, seeing a story rooted in unwavering faith and love is exactly the kind of piece we need on stage right now—a reminder of the strength of having someone in your corner.
This production exceeded every expectation I had for it, and in my opinion, is a very strong use of the bio jukebox musical. It integrates the music into the story where it doesn’t feel like the characters are pausing to sing just to use a song. I hope this finds its way to broadway soon, because a one-month run at Paper Mill is simply not enough.
After a run suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Wanderer had its regional premiere at Paper Mill Playhouse in the 2021-2022 season, with previews beginning on March 24 and officially opening on April 8. The Broadway-aimed Production is set to run through April 28, after extending the run due to illnesses in the cast.
The Broadway Edit 