The Artist (Andy Warhol) is a caricature throughout--mannered observer dropping deadpan bon mots. There is no indication he has an interior life until the big 11 o'clock number. There is no reason why he sings this song. There is no introduction or transition of any kind.
Sammy (our female protagonist) goes to Studio 54, which she hates, because it is on the way home from her job and Forest Hills.
Sammy is a punk. Because she wears a hat? When she is first asked to sing, she does some kind of beat poetry, not punk. When she finally does sing, it's pop. There is not a single punk thing about her except, I guess, that she is from Forest Hills, where the Ramones are also from (this is actually stated in the show).
Chad's emergency contact is . . . Studio 54? His dad dies and Steve Rubell, who doesn't know who he is, gives him the message? Then sings a come-on song about sitting on daddy's lap?
There is a trans character whose entire storyline is basically: "I'm a guy." "OK, *sings* I didn't fall in love with you for your chromosomes." Then they kiss behind a hat because we can't see two queer characters kiss?
After two scenes in Act 1 where Steve Rubell refuses entrance to Studio 54 because the people aren't attractive/cool enough (including our punk Hat Girl), there is a scene in Act 2 where the velvet rope supplicants are wearing t-shirts that say "too ugly to get in" on the back and letters on the front that spell "Let Us In" on the front. LITERALLY spelling out something that is too obvious to miss.
When Sammy gets her big debut, we first get an entire song from a character we've never been introduced to, played by a member of the chorus. Is this supposed to be a new character? Is this a Studio 54 denizen who has also been plucked from obscurity by the Artist for fame? Who knows?
After the chorus girl sings her song, The Artist introduces a German avant garde electronic artist (Trask) who plays a long electronic song while the Artist dances avant gardely. At one point he lies down on a stool and spins around. At two points, he freezes and holds the pose for . . . 30 seconds? A minute? An eternity? It's interminable and excruciating.
There is a scene at the Artist's factory where his hangers on are wearing the leftover raincoats from American Psycho and garbage bags.
Binky, the publicist/manager(?) has a big number near the end of Act 2 where she sings, "It's me you can't forget/not one single regret/I need a cigarette/oh look a clarinet" and the waitress walks by with a clarinet on a tray which Binky picks up and plays two notes on while also smoking a cigarette, WHY.
Chad's big art debut is a bust when the big neon Rake sign changes to Fake. Is this sabotage? An accident? An artistic critique from the universe? Who knows, but after a lot of exaggerated laughter from the chorus, he runs out in despair and starts turning tricks again. On the road.
DA to his assistant "Tonight I wanna be on your staff" *endless blowjob*