Panic In The Bathroom
Books & Lyrics by Jared Scheinberg
Music by Jared Scheinberg, Gary Cayton, Adam Schoenfeld, Chris Fiore
Directed by Bryan Kimmelman, Presented by New York City Fringe Festival
April 3rd at 7:40pm, April 12th at 2:00pm and 7:00pm, April 19th at 2:00pm
Panic In The Bathroom, a new musical comedy by Jared Scheinberg, is exactly what happens when you take two eccentrics like When Harry Met Sally and take them out of their beloved NYC and place them straight in the middle of Long Island with a baby.
For 60 energetic minutes, you are bouncing and bopping along to a rock and roll medley of dad Jerry Schoenfeld, played by creator of the play Jared Scheinberg, and mom Tina Schoenfeld, played by the actual wife of Jared, Christina Scheinberg. Together, both parents are trying to navigate the parenting blues and challenges of raising their two-year-old daughter. Along the way, we see Jerry suffering from major OCD, needing to rush to the airport to bring his larger than life mother-in-law Barbara, played by Julia Macchio, home in time for his daughter’s second birthday.
The play is an homage to the challenges of parenting especially losing a sense of former self. From facing existential crisis to identity confusion, the amount of emotions brought out when trying to raise a tiny human is something one can imagine but never fully understand unless you are knee deep in it. The play humbly tries to amplify parental woes with over the top humor and breaking out in song at any chance to really emphasize the madness.
Director Bryan Kimmelman does not shy away from using unusual props like a portable toilet to really emphasize the maddening effects OCD takes upon dad Jerry suffering from it. Without having a real child actor for the stage, innovative techniques took place to mimic a child. In one endearing moment, one of the ensemble members from behind dad Jerry, pretends to be a cooing toddler as he adorably drives a mini steering wheel to the airport. The use of certain witty conventions such this adds to the campiness of the play and allows the actors to have a certain playfulness to the role that allows the audience to laugh in solidarity at the embellishments of what it feels like when a young child really plays master puppeteer of her parents’ emotions.
The cast worked extremely efficiently to change sets, break out in chorus, and actress Julia Macchio impressively portrayed several different roles, which is a delight to see. A particularly vivid moment is how her daughter-in-law always feels like she is on a game show with her annoying mother-in-law, that at some point a yellow cloth over a table with a bell becomes a literal game show segment. The audience bursts out in laughter seeing how Barbara castigates Tina for her millennial responses towards child rearing versus relishing in her antiquated way of raising children, which is to demand and allow no room for rebuttal or emotions. At one point, Barbara even suggests stapling clothes on a child if they refuse to wear their clothes for the day.
While there was a lot of sheer joy and entertainment the entire time, the music blared for a lot of the performance making it difficult to hear the actors. Also, given the type of musical this was, the musical style felt a bit too scattered. It would have packed more punch by sticking to a certain genre versus a constant medley mix. In a musical it is essential for the lyrics and performances to carry the narrative rather than being overshadowed by instrumentation.
The most sentimental and touching element comes at the end, with projections of personal images of the married couple. When they come to realize that even though life has changed drastically, their love for each other continues to grow in the face of the challenges. We realize, as we see sequences of personal images such as a proposal, wedding, birth of their baby, and photos together with their child, that they are a real married couple. It is unusual to see a talented husband and wife duo take the stage by storm. Panic In The Bathroom is sure to warm your hearts with love of family, and through the growing pains, meaning lies in the bond of love.
Review by Bianca Lopez.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on April 15, 2026. All rights reserved.
