Arts & Entertainment Compass

The Coolest Show I saw all summer wasn’t on Broadway or at Lincoln Center. It was “Cool at Camp: A Musical Comedy” performed at the Cullum Theatre inside the American Theatre for Actors. The show was written by Dani Tapper, Peter Weidman, Steven Blutig, Robin Raskin, and Emily Stumer. The show has been previously produced in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but this is its first stop in New York. If you weren’t smart enough to get out to see it in person, you’re in luck! This latest production of the show has been recorded and will premiere on Youtube on August 17th and be available to stream thereafter. 

The show starred a youthful ensemble, many of whom are pursuing performance careers professionally. Performing in the 2026 production were Shane Roche, Reese Rehl, Avery Rehl, Thomas Pendergast, Scott Berkowitz, Lindsay Perr, Isabel Criscuolo, Patrick Kelley, Rachel Roth, Julia Germer, Jackson Preisser, and Monty Boxer. 

The main thrust of the show had to do with a non-Jew being accepted at a summer camp primarily filled with Jewish kids, some of whom he already knew from school. I thought the show did a great job of balancing aspects specific to the Jewish experience with other more widely identifiable adolescent experiences. Thomas Pendergast acting as the “goyish outsider” Will did a great job struggling through the Jewish terminology, and became our way into the story for the rest of us in the audience who didn’t catch every Yiddish term being flung about. 

There’s something so sentimental about watching real life sisters play sisters on stage! In this case, sisters Reese and Avery Rehl are not actually twins, but they did an incredible job portraying twins in the show! This relationship was the most complex and developed by the script. I found the realization that they as sisters weren’t required to be best friends all the time… that sisters are allowed to fight and disagree… to be a very thoughtful and mature plot point in “Cool at Camp.” I loved the constant push and pull of actresses Avery and Reese, and I hope they continue to work together as actors. 

What was more than obvious to me, when I got to see the sold out closing performance this July, was that these young performers had been treated with the utmost kindness and respect by the production. They each got a chance to show off and shine. When the musical lines got difficult, it was so clear to me that they had been well coached vocally, and that these young performers were fully in the driver’s seat. What I’m saying is – this may be a show that’s about and for young people, but the best part about it was how grown up it all felt. Belting became triumphant and defiant. Mixing became a sign of vulnerability and growth. Moments of red faced teenage embarrassment and confusion were given the right amount of gravity and also treated with humor and sent up with a good zinger. 

The funniest moment in the show was probably the song where one of the girl campers gets her period, called “Praised Be!” For me, it was the right amount of camp, schtick, and hilarious cavorting in the name of teenage hormonal development. 

I was almost impressed with the choreography by Maria Jackson, which felt challenging enough to be entertaining without stressing the performers out! The songs are cleverly written and the choreography was crisp and fun. 

As most shows that enter the festival environment are continuing to be improved and worked on to make them even better. In my opinion, every song was essential except for the song between the camp counselor and the nosy mother during visiting day. Even though this was camp counselor Woody’s biggest song (presented by the hilarious Scott Berkowitz), something about the fact that neither character is listening to the other rubbed me the wrong way. I would have cut the whole scene, as it did not benefit the action. Sorry Woody! 

I’m a stickler about a program or playbill. Programs are the physical memento that you get to take home with you, that Mom gets to keepsake and remember. Unfortunately our program was a bit of an afterthought, with formatting errors and missing punctuation. Most notably I was vexed by a lack of the list of musical numbers, commonly used as a running order in the playbill to help us understand how far through the show we have progressed. Without the names of the songs, it is much harder to remember all the good jokes. Also conspicuously missing were bios for all of the theatre technicians, who work hard and deserve our recognition too. 

If you represent a regional theatre that is looking to produce a show cast entirely with young people, then this show should be at the top of your list! And I will be tuning in to the livestream to watch it again!