While examining a new mother and her baby in a remote Haitian clinic, HMS’s physician–anthropologist–humanitarian extraordinaire Paul Farmer learns some astounding news: his longtime best buddy and partner in health, Jim Yong Kim, has just accepted the position of president at Dartmouth College. In other words, HMS’s most dynamic duo is breaking up.
In the 103rd annual Second Year Show, “Mountains Beyond Brokeback Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer to Find a New Jim Kim and Save Our Nation’s Healthcare,” Farmer, played by Christopher Doughty, initially finds it a struggle to go solo. Aided by the mysterious prophecy of Dean Nancy Oracle, he attempts to make peace with his new life, but nothing can fill the Jim Kim–shaped hole in his heart.
In his despair, Farmer has a little too much to drink and calls his pal President Obama to make some recommendations on healthcare reform that go against his life’s work-reforms that are so contrary to his values they earn the support of Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. But who better to save healthcare than Paul Farmer? Recalling the wise words of the Oracle, he pulls himself together and assembles an unbeatable team to reverse the damage.
Produced by Jen Katz Eriksen, Wen Fan and Bushra Taha and directed by Brian Block and Christina Carr, “Mountains Beyond Brokeback Mountains” showcased the Class of 2012’s superb talents in music and dance. Among the vocal stars were Erin West, who belted out “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” and Brenton Pennicooke, whose uncanny rendition of “Man in the Mirror” spurred rumors in the audience of a Michael Jackson sighting.
The show was also replete with finely executed dance numbers. Early on, the audience was treated to a surprisingly graceful and oddly romantic dance duet by Doughty and Ming Zhi, who played Jim Kim, and the end of the show featured a rousing bhangra. But without doubt, the highlight of the evening was a spoof on “Cell Block Tango,” from the musical Chicago, featuring the Jim Kim Search Committee (Melina Marmarelis, Gretchen Fuller, Laura Myers, Stephen Fiascone, Cassandra Peiztman and Jeffrey Wessler). Though the choreography was far from flashy, the performers’ impeccable comic timing made the number the most memorable of the show. Other brilliant musical numbers included “Lung in a Box” (a spoof on the famous Saturday Night Live skit featuring a different body part), “Mo’ Money Mo’ Tality,” a rap by Sanjay Divakaran, Shantanu Gaur, Anant Vingjamoori and Monique Smith, and a delightful tap dance by Trudy Van Houten (Laura Myers).
Also noteworthy was the well-considered use of multimedia. The show started with a charming slideshow depicting Paul Farmer and Jim Yong Kim in their earlier years. The second act began with a tribute to Dan Goodenough for “three million years of service,” which featured an intentionally (and hilariously) uncomfortable interview with Goodenough (as himself) and Jeffrey Flier (Jeffrey Wessler).
As is the tradition, the Second Year Show held nothing sacred. The Class of 2012 was especially democratic in their skewering, making fun of everyone from the Courtyard Café security guard to Michelle Obama to, of course, HMS dean Jeffrey Flier. And they also weren’t afraid to poke a little fun at some of the more sensitive issues facing the School, like conflicts of interest.
It is clear these med students were singularly dedicated to the writing and rehearsing of the 103rd Second Year Show; one is only left wondering how they also managed to get any studying done.
