By Holly Johnson
Oregon Music News
May 4, 2010

Gracie and the Atom, singer/songwriter McKinley’s first musical, fills the stage at Artists Repertory Theater with an interesting debate between science and God, the vibrant energy, both angst-filled and joyful, of teen-aged girls in a Catholic boarding school, plus a collection of likable, intelligent songs. McKinley (aka Christine McKinley, who goes by her last name), one of Portland’s top talents in her area and a member of the local group Dirty Martini, combines anger and pathos, tenderness and yearning, dark lyrics and hopeful ones, in the show, performed by a first-rate, all-female cast. Based in part on her own life, the play echoes universal and particular challenges of growing up, whether you’re a Dickensian orphan or a kid from a classy home.

The story is carried along by the songs, which indeed is what songs in a musical should do. They’re a mix of folk/pop, rock, ballads and even an engaging waltz. Here, we meet Gracie (the talented Beth Sobo), who’s been dropped down into Our Lady of Rose Catholic School with an emotional thud, in keeping with instructions in her late father’s will. She’s dazed and confused, but a rebel from the get-go. She learns about the institution from her fellow pupils who extol the virtues of the school in the upbeat number “Clean White Socks.” Never mind that the head nun, the unsmiling Sister Francis (Mary Baird) is a formidable presence (with an important secret, we later learn): It’s bad enough being confined in a place with so many rules and regulations, plus a religion Gracie knows little about.

She’s a bit like a caged tigress yearning to escape (“Get Away”), but positive forces slowly work on her, calming her desperation.  One of these is her love for science, and in one of the most charming numbers, “Beautiful Math Waltz,” sung by Sister Lidwina, Gracie is introduced to the wonders of physics, a subject she’s good at. The comforting exactness of science as opposed to the haziness of religious miracle stories draws her closer.

Lidwina loves science for its exactness, too. As sketched by Emily Beleele with her strong voice and comic sensibilities, Lidwina is an unkempt, head-in-the-clouds instructor, who moves slightly off-kilter, the cross around her neck askew, her slip showing. Her whole life is teaching, and she’s passionate and unorthodox in her methods. More than Christ, perhaps, she worships Galileo and Archimedes, whose principle of buoyancy echoes Lidwina’s own buoyant nature.

As Gracie befriends the girls in school, life changes, it expands, becoming, at times, wondrous. She makes friends who help her settle down, focus and have fun. They even help her find her lost mother. The gentle Beth (Marissa Neitling) reaches out to Gracie in particular, and in one of the highlight songs, the gentle yet searing “Falling Down,” they offer each other support and trust. Sobo and Neitling display strong vocals here, although they’re marvelous in all they do. Marvelous, too is the rest of the cast, which is Brooke Markham as the voluptuous , unruly Angela, Melissa Murray as Gabriella who knows how to use the Ouija board, and Kylie Clarke Johnson as the righteous Christa.

The play at times feels uneven, its ending too pat and a bit contrived, a common flaw in musicals. But the heart of the show is pure. Allen Nause’s direction is tight, and Jessica Wallenfels’ quirky choreography sparkles.

The accompanying musicians, placed upstage of the action, couldn’t be better. They’re some of the best in the business, led by Clay Giberson on keyboard (he was also keyboardist for the “Gracie and the Atom” CD, which is on sale at the theater, and he wrote some lyrics with McKinley). The quartet also includes the amazing Cameron Morgan on guitar, who decorated such songs as “St. Michael” with powerful, plaintive touches, star drummer Mike Snyder who has worked on numerous Hollywood film scores, and Dave Captein on bass and bass guitar, whose playing added much resonance to the score.

Performance s are through May 30. Wednesday through Sunday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:00pm, plus one Wednesday matinee at 11:00am on May 19.  Student tickets are $20 and regular adult tickets range from $25 to $47. For tickets and information, call the Artists Rep Box Office at 503.241.1278