THE celebrations in observance of Bob Marley’s 70th birthday kicked off in earnest a few weeks ago and topping the list was the production Nesta’s Rock by the Jamaica Musical Theatre Company (JMTC).

The musical — which was inspired by the early life of the reggae superstar — was heralded as a step in the right direction, as it saw the JMTC stepping outside its usual parameters and producing its first Jamaican musical, a departure from its MO of staging productions which originated overseas.

The idea of a local musical which centres on Jamaica’s foremost cultural export, in this the year of the 70th anniversary of his birth, left many with high expectations for Nesta’s Rock.

Unfortunately, the expectations and what was delivered by the company found no middle ground when the Jamaica Observer viewed the production on Friday, February 6 — Bob Marley’s actual birthday.

In its publicity material, the JMTC did state that the early life of Marley was the ‘inspiration’ for Nesta’s Rock and they stuck to that. Therefore, what unfolded on stage inside the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts at the University of the West Indies seemed to have drawn more on the children’s classic Alice in Wonderland, with some music and cultural indicators of which we are familiar.

As far as the Marley ‘inspiration’ goes, it is limited to the name of the lead character Nesta (Marley’s middle name) and his desire to be a singer; Nine Miles the mystical place to which he is transported; and the popular Marley tracks sprinkled throughout for good measure.

This results in the first half of the show being difficult to follow as one is left to wonder: What is this and where is it going? Luckily for all concerned, things settle and one is able to follow during the second half of the production, now that one is aware of the extent of the inspiration.

Nesta’s Rock revolves around a city dweller, Ness, who has big dreams of becoming a musician. He is magically transported ‘down the rabbit hole’ to a farming village, Nine Miles, and there he encounters a number of characters who assist him in getting to Kingston Town, where a string of encounters allow him to develop the strength of character to pursue his musical dreams.

In true JMTC fashion, the music is top-notch, especially for such a young cast. Their sound as a chorus is inspiring. If these voices are honed and developed, it should augur well for the future of musical theatre in Jamaica. Melbourne Douglas as the lead character is a good pick. His voice lends well to the music of Nesta’s Rock even though his acting should fall into place with time. The three little birds with the eerie laugh and inquisitive nature help to lift the script written By Jodi Ho Lung and Samantha Chin Yee. Quickore Bennett as Big K does very well as the force of evil in Kingston Town. Her stage presence is infectious and definitely assists in moving the story forward.

Nesta’s Rock is not an easy watch, especially for adults, as one has to wade through the first act and wait for the story to come together in the second half. It would have perhaps worked better if there was no mention of a Marley inspiration, but rather simply billed as a Jamaican musical.

It will be interesting to see how Nesta’s Rock stacks up against Three Little Birds, another production staged in the United States and based on a book written by Marley’s daughter Cedella, as well as Marley, a musical which is set to premiere in Baltimore in May this year.