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M’CHIGEENG—For anyone worried about the legacy of the Burns Wharf Theatre Players, attending a performance of latest musical production by the troupe under its new moniker, Phoenix Theatre Company, would surely put those concerns well and thoroughly to bed. The tragic comedy ‘Bonnie & Clyde: The musical’ came on strong and kept the audience enthralled to the final curtain.

Co-directors Samantha Lynn Brennan (late of Debajehmujig) and longtime Burns Wharf alum Issac Gosse have delivered a veritable tour de force. The musical Bonnie & Clyde is best described as a tragic romance blended with elements of black comedy. While it does not neatly fit the traditional definition of a comedy, the musical relies heavily on dark humor and satire to juxtapose the grim realities of the Great Depression with the duo’s fame-obsessed youth.

“Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Parker grew up in the 1930s in a world that promised them the American Dream but delivered only extreme poverty with no hope for a better future,” said Ms. Brennan. “With all the chaos, all of the things that make life worth living still exist—love, family, friends, the beauty of the natural world, music, poetry, community and many other gifts we tend to take for granted on an average day. The choices we make in life are charged by both these sides, positive and negative—and so it was for Bonnie and Clyde.”