It’s probably not a surprise that Ghost of John McCain is as much about Donald Trump as it is about the late senator. The frosty relationship between the two Republicans was the stuff of national headlines. In 2015 when Trump was running for president, he slammed the Vietnam war hero who spent 6 years as a POW, saying he “liked people who weren’t captured.” McCain had his revenge two years later when he defied Trump, casting the deciding vote against the Republicans’ plans to repeal Obamacare. And so, considering the show was conceived by McCain’s pals, it’s pretty clear whose side the creators of Ghost… are on. And if that’s the side you’re on, it’s a validating sendup of the political stakes in this country. Theatrically speaking, it’s a cleverly ambitious yet flawed musical satire that owes much of its success to a tremendously versatile company of first-rate actors.
It begins in 2018 after the death of McCain (Jason Tam) as he arrives in what appears to be a low-rent hotel. He thinks it’s heaven but it’s actually inside Trump’s head. Trump (Lukas Kobe Mannikus) appears as an entitled 14 year old snorting Adderall and slugging diet cokes.
Throughout the next 90 minutes, we’re introduced to some three dozen characters who live rent-free in Trump’s mind—the good, the bad, the bizarre and the ugly. You’ll recognize them all, from Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to Roy Cohn, Kanye West and yes, even Hitler, not to mention characters from Trump’s favorite musicals—the Phantom, Evita and Grizabella from Cats. The skill and energy required of the six ensemble members taking on some three dozen roles is a feat in itself and they deserve the highest praise.
The first half of the show is a giddy romp parodying what the creators see as a rogues’ gallery of Trump cronies. Funniest of all is Ben Fankhauser’s hilarious take on Lindsay Graham, the South Carolina senator who was regarded as McCain’s best friend and Trump critic, only to become one of Trump’s biggest allies after McCain’s death. When he first enters, he’s in business attire but soon enough he whips off the suit to reveal an S&M costume complete with dog collar. Accompanied by a backup chorus comprised of Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz and Elon Musk, he sings “Good Boy”:
I LOVE TO FEEL PROTECTED BY SOMEONE STRONG AND STURDY
WHO REMINDS ME I’M SECOND CLASS. WHOA OH OH OH OH! I’LL SLOBBER ON A BONE OR I SIT AND LOOK REAL PURDY.
IT PUTS A LITTLE PLUG IN MY ASS-PIRATIONS.
That scathing number written by Drew Fornarola is par for his expletive-laden score. His stinging lyrics and tuneful melodies are a mixed bag but for those whose politics swing liberal, his songs cut to the bone. Take the number “I Told You So” sung by Hillary Clinton (Lindsay Nicole Chambers). When we first meet her, she enters as the devil which is just as Trump envisions her. Later in a scene set in the oval office, we see a woman dressed as Melania or is it Ivanka? Book writer Scott Elmegreen identifies her as “Daughter-Wife” and when McCain asks who she is, she responds “Melanka” and then corrects herself, saying “Ivania.” It’s not quite clear why Joe Biden is seen as a janitor but Fankhauser impresses yet again, singing an irreverent little ditty called “Joe’s Advice.”
Elmegreen’s book is overlong and tends to get muddled. The wild story line is certainly funny but it’s at times way too clever for its own good and we’re left wondering what’s the point? It’s been widely reported that McCain’s daughter, Meghan, called the show “trash” without ever seeing it. I’m not sure she’d appreciate her father’s characterization as a good guy who’s frustrated by Trump’s mass appeal. He debates Trump and competes against him in a dance contest but there’s little evidence of the heroic fighter that marked his venerable career. Eventually, joined by a team of Biden, Hillary, Teddy Roosevelt and Bernie Sanders, he sees the light, saying “I’m gonna be this guy’s worst nightmare.”
The addition of a character named “Karen” (Zonya Love), representing Trump’s MAGA followers, offers some insightful perspective with the song “Invisible”, explaining to McCain why she supports Trump despite all his lies and insulting rhetoric:
YES, TRUMP’S SHAMELESS, I’M NOT BLIND.
NO, NOT TRUTHFUL, YES, UNKIND.
AM I “COMPLICIT?” CAN I DISMISS IT?
CLOSE THE BOOK. WHEN YOU FEEL OVERLOOKED
YOU’D BE AMAZED WHAT YOU CAN OVERLOOK.
Given all the high speed comings and goings of the actors constantly switching roles, the production requires a traffic cop as much as a director. Catie Davis fills both jobs admirably. And kudos to stage manager Ralph Stan Lee who manages to maintain the breakneck pacing without missing a beat.
Ghost of John McCain was initially conceived by McCain’s close friend and chief of staff Grant Woods. He passed away in 2021 but throughout the show’s development, the production team always believed that McCain would have appreciated the show’s sense of humor despite its irreverence. I have no doubt it will offend some people and not sure where else it can safely play…but for New York audiences concerned about the political and moral upheaval unleashed in the Trump era, Ghost of John McCain serves up some tasty red meat in the blue state.
