44— the Musical – 02 November 2025

In order to take on a man as revered as Barack Obama, 44—the Musical has to rely on every comedic trick in the book. With a pounding, catchy pop rock score, this production uses physical comedy, costume choices, projections, dry wit, absurd wordplay, dramatic staging, incredible gospel riffs, and just a drop of heartfelt love, 44—the Musical irreverently shows its reverence for Barack Obama and the wacky nature of those who surrounded him during his presidency. With all these shenanigans, it’s amazing how much change occurred during Obama’s presidency.

Rather than focusing on Obama’s accomplishments as a president, 44—the Musical shows us everything surrounding Obama (T.J. Wilkins) and first lady Michelle Obama (Shanice) through the eyes of a sometimes young and spritely, other times old and feeble Joe Biden (Chad Doreck). The heartfelt belief of the American people was embodied in Summer Nicole Greer, whose dynamic vocal talent elevated the entire production. Almost everyone else in the production was, in some way, against Obama. On a spectrum of Hilary Clinton (Jenna Pastuszek) who was tired of waiting her turn to the evil embodiments of Mitch McConnell (Larry Cedar) and Ted Cruz (Michael Uribes), the show focused primarily on the antics of the ridiculous dance of politics, and how tough it is to be taken seriously when others have prejudged you and already decided their vote before knowing what bill they’re voting against. This political circus was varying degrees of funny. I found Hillary Clinton’s number, “My Turn”, hilarious, while Sarah Palin (understudy: Chelsea Morgan Stock) seemed too focused on the dance movies to make her solo song, “Drill Me Baby” as funny as the lyrics intended. “What Would Liam Neeson Do?” made no sense, even in context, but “Filibusters” had me in stitches. When in doubt, the lyrics (Eli Bauman) leaned heavily on swear words and universally hated political figures and ideas (ex. “M.F.O” and “F.U.T.C.”).

My favorite moments in the show took place when anticipation was in the air. “Red States Blue States” was the closest this show got to a political stance, with lyrics decrying the notion of red states and blue states and highlighting Obama’s interest in being a president for all of the United States. “How Black is Too Black” was also quite insightful. Whenever Voice of the People was on stage, Summer Nicole Greer brought an energy and momentum that was hopeful. “Remember Me” was truly touching, and was the only moment of vulnerability any character had in this show. It was out of place, but still did its part to elevate the production to something besides cheap shots at politicians. I was disappointed by the way Michelle Obama’s character was written. After her introduction in “First Lady”, she was reduced to catching Barack on his way into the White House late at night and singing him frivolous love songs that became duets. “White House Love” had beautiful harmonies, but it didn’t advance the plot or add anything to the story.

Ultimately, 44—the Musical relied on funny situations and irony to move through Barack Obama’s presidency, but was a bit of a let down in terms of sharing a moral or message.  There was no rallying cry or meaningful reflection on Obama’s time as president, or what the U.S. is facing now. The plot felt a little rudderless, making this more of a revue and less of a musical. These moments and their premises are fun, and most of the performers showed great talent and great promise. Structurally, the production felt uneven, and though the experience was enjoyable, the overall caliber was held back by the lack of intentionality in the storytelling. I enjoyed this show for what it was, and hope that, like our country, one day this story can mean something more.

I attended this performance on a press pass from Candi Adams PR.