Correct musical formula found for Prine numbers

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

Failed jukebox musicals are many. “Ring of Fire” (Johnny Cash), “Lennon” (John Lennon) and “The Times They Are A-Changin’” (Bob Dylan) all debuted on Broadway with much fanfare and quickly disappeared.

But Indianapolis-based Phoenix Theatre has come up with a winning formula in the music-drenched show “Prine: A Tribute Concert,” running at the Viaduct Theater through Feb. 6. Here, director Bryan Fonseca gets it right by keeping it simple.

It doesn’t hurt that he has great music to work with and six talented performers to present it. Each obviously loves a song made complex by stunning wordplay and simple chords, all of which Prine does throughout his vast songbook.

The two-hour show, which debuted earlier last year at Phoenix where Fonseca is producing director, is presented locally by Here Today Enterprises, in association with Phoenix and Prop Thtr. The performers are Tim Brickley, Tim Grimm, Bobbie Lancaster, Jan Lucas-Grimm, Megon McDonough and Michael Shelton.

Of course, the show should easily find an audience here since Chicago fans call the Nashville-based Prine their own. He grew up in Maywood and was a central figure in the Chicago folk movement, performing at clubs like the Earl of Old Town and the Quiet Knight along with pals such as Steve Goodman, Bonnie Koloc, Fred Holstein and Jim Post. But those days were decades ago and much of the music has fallen by the wayside.

What “Prine: A Tribute Concert” does is prove just how lasting the songs are, allowing the audience to really absorb Prine’s lyrics and the messages behind them.

The songs — more than 30 are performed — have a country-folk charm. They can be silly and whimsical (“It’s a Big Old Goofy World”) or realistically heartbreaking (“Speed of the Sound of Loneliness”).

Fonseca lets the songs unfold organically in a simple barroom setting. There is no dialogue, no real storyline. Yet hints of a story about relationships come through thanks to Prine’s story songs and the subtle interactions of the performers, all of whom are actors as well as fine musicians and singers.

Lancaster’s sassy twang is perfect on “They Oughta Name a Drink After You” and heartbreaking on “Bruised Orange.” McDonough smoothly beautiful vocals shown on “Sam Stone” and “Angel from Montgomery.” Scattered among the solo performances were nicely calibrated duets, including the Grimms’ crowd-pleasing take on Prine’s silly rant “In Spite of Ourselves.”

What gives the show cred is the fact that the singers never try to imitate Prine but rather to interpret the songs in their own individual way, drawing out the humor, pain, truth and beauty of each. In the end, Prine’s lyrically rich songbook is the true star of this performance piece.