The Musical Comedy about Health Care in America

Instead of asking if there is a doctor in the house, patrons of "Damaged Care" have been asking "Are there two doctors on the stage?' And they would be right. The show, billed as a "musical comedy about health care in America," features the Two Singing Doctors -- Dr. Barry Levy and Dr. Greg LaGana. The medical mirthmakers also wrote the material, which aims its lyrical arrows at today's healthcare targets.

With the emphasis in the media on everything from prescription drug advances to The Surgery Channel, Levy and LaGana could not have had better timing with their project. The two were classmates at New York's Cornell Medical College, and their mischievous rapport carries over to the stage, where they dissect health topics with wit and wisdom.

Directed by Michael Schiralli, with musical direction by Brad Ross, the show is lighthearted despite its serious undertones. "Damaged Care" takes on many topics that musical theatergoers probably have not heard sung about before -- reduced insurance coverage, hospital mergers, "cost containment," medical errors, and the threat of "superbugs." Also, the doctors often stay after the show to answer questions, which would cost a lot in any other circumstance.

The songs have titles like "Doctors in Cyberspace," "The Spare Parts Blues," "A Health Care Policy for the Millennium," and "That's Sick!" Even if you don't have a clue as to what they are technically or biologically referring to, you can't help but admire how Levy and LaGana operate. They practically finish the other's sentences, that's how in sync they are under the spotlight.

Trust me, you don't need a second opinion on which comedy to see in New York City - just order two tickets to "Damaged Care" and you'll still be laughing in the morning.

Tired of spending 45 minutes in your dermatologist's waiting room only to see him for about 45 seconds once your name is called? (True story!) Discouraged by reduced service and cost-cutting on your healthcare plan? Worried about whether your doctor will return your email and how much you will have to pay for it?

Damaged Care, a musical comedy/cabaret show written and performed by two medical doctors, Dr. Greg LaGana and Dr. Barry Levy, explores some of the specific complaints doctors and patients may have regarding healthcare in America today. The doctors do this exploration through song. And, what better way is there to discuss, for example, organ transplants than singing "The Spare Parts Blues"? Most of the songs in the show are parodies of popular show tunes. Thus, "I Feel Pretty" becomes "Doctors in Cyberspace" and "That's Entertainment" becomes "That's Cost Containment." The musical director and piano accompanist, Brad Ross, wrote four of the 15 songs for the show.

In order to hold their discussion from two points of view, the doctors have created two very different characters. Dr. LaGana plays the part of the "idealist" who is frustrated by not having enough time to care for his patients and by the business side of things. Dr. Levy, playing the "devil's advocate," scolds Dr. LaGana for "being so negative" and urges LaGana to look at things from a more "profitable" viewpoint. The doctors also come together sometimes by lamenting about "the good old days" of practicing medicine.

LaGana and Levy, clearly close friends, have a nice chemistry on stage and their voices aren't so bad either. They bring up a lot of problems rather than explore a few in depth and so the show seems to aim to spark conversation and allow for venting rather than offer any definite solutions.

In one satirical bit, the doctors put on devil's horns and carry pitchforks as they plot how to get around the Patient's Bill of Rights by creating a healthcare plan that doesn't cover much of anything at all (one lyric to the song they sing is "We do not cover oral health or anything that's dental..." ). In another, the men fight about whom to admit into a hospital. Levy 's character advises LaGana to try a more lucrative policy as he sings to imaginary patients, "You're sick; go home."

Overall, the show is funny and corny (that's a good thing) and enjoyable to watch and listen to. At the performance I attended, I was able to stick around for the short, informal Q&A held afterward for a more serious discussion of the issues.