Wings of Freedom

An original musical dealing with substance abuse and addiction? It sounds unlikely, but it works. This show, written and directed by Lisa Tarrer-Lacy, focuses on four all too human characters who have suffered the failure of a close relationship—followed by a drift into growing personal isolation and reliance on crack, or liquor, or heroin. It’s a story with a message, to be sure, but the dramatic monologues (as each of the four characters explain how they got where they are) are absorbing. And the original songs by Charles Cooper are strong, including the aching “I Want to be Free” (sung effectively by Sara Von), and the show closes with two strong, uptempo gospel numbers: “Believe in Yourself” and the rousing “Wings of Freedom” (the latter a hand-clapping finale).