New York, New York.

A place everyone seems to be drawn to.  And why not? It offers a bit of everything, something for everyone if you will. Artists, restaurants, subway, history, diversity, plays. A place you can get lost in yet also find yourself.

Which is the case for four young New Yorkers in the West Coast premiere of Ordinary Days: Deb, a grad student; Warren, an aspiring artist; Claire and Jason a couple who have decided to move in together.

What’s so wonderfully delightful about Ordinary Days is that it sounds cliche. New York. People finding themselves. Commitment issues. Yet it’s so fresh, funny, so true. Even if you don’t live in New York City. (Although be warned: it may cause you to have a stronger desire to go.) Although New York City is as much a character as the four actors–each one of them falls in and out of love with NYC, both loving being there and wanting to get the hell out.

Claire and Jason are a couple who have decided to take the next step, by moving in together. Or rather, you get the sense that Jason is enthusiastically ready to take this relationship forward, while Claire is reluctantly going along, holding back for a reason, Jason, and we the audience, don’t know.

Then there’s Warren. He works for an artist…feeding his cat. He wants to be noticed, but is continuously ignored, yet remains eternally optimistic, seeing the beauty in the ordinary. He often will pick up things discarded or lost, like a photograph, an unopened valentine, or a book covered in someone’s notes.

I have to say I identified the most with Deb. I went to college, hoping to find me, my place yet left even more confused. My solution? Apply to grad school! She’s yet to figure out what exactly she wants in life, but knows she wants to take it all on, even if she fails. She wants her space and wants to leave her mark on the world.

The actors did a fantastic job, not only with their stellar singing, but for those 90 minutes I was completely absorbed in their world. The stage for the performance is rather small, which is fitting since several times the characters mention a want/need for space, and I was rather impressed that the appearance of the set never changed, yet served as apartment and museum, the projections on the set changing, making the transitions smooth and believable.

It’s a play that re-invigorates you, reminds you that this, this is what living is all about. It’s not about perfection, because all of these characters screw up, make messes of themselves and their lives, and spend some portion of it just feeling lost. It’s about knowing everyone feels that, and sometimes you have to muddle through it, and when you do and land on the other side of it all, you’re better for it.

And it’s always nice to know you’re not alone, especially when you’re in the big city. Life lessons told through song are always better–you won’t forget them later since you can hum them to yourself. The song writing was remarkable–not only were they catchy, but very conversational. It just seemed different and new to me; that it truly was life set to music. Who knew I could’ve turned all my frantic emails to my professors into a humorous ditty?

To see this witty and engaging musical, visit South Coast Repertory, where it’s playing at the Julianne Argyros Stage (which always features “adventurous new work, contemporary hits and intriguing premieres”) until January 24; visit www.scr.org for specific days and times.