The name Bonnie (which means “pretty” or “good”) is not uncommon; even today, many people have met at least one Bonnie. The name Clyde is less used these days, but it often reminds us of a grandfather figure. When uttered together, however, the names Bonnie and Clyde can only refer to the infamous pair of criminals who conducted a multi-state crime spree with their gang from 1932 to 1934. Their criminal exploits included prison breaks, armed robbery, and the killing of a dozen people. After being hunted by law enforcement officials from multiple jurisdictions for months, the pair was ultimately killed together by gunfire in an ambush.

Most popular historians believe that Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were instantly smitten with each other when they met at the ages of 19 and 20, and that Bonnie followed Clyde into his already established criminal lifestyle because of love. What better fodder for a stage musical than armed robbery, murder and romance?

The Riverbank Theatre of Marine City brings Bonnie & Clyde, the tale of the star-crossed, lawless lovers, to the stage under the direction of Stephanie Graham (book by Ivan Menchell, lyrics by Don Black and music by Frank Wildhorn). This show does take artistic liberty with actual historical events for the sake of the narrative, so it should not be taken as a true biography. Rather, it highlights Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow’s short-lived but intense romantic relationship, their loyalty to each other, and the tragic consequences of their devil-may-care criminal lifestyle. It is filled with well-written music that blends southern rock with blues, and adds a splash of jazz, country and gospel flavors in the mix.

We first meet Bonnie Parker as a young girl in rural Texas, who dreams of being a famous dancer and a star of picture shows. We also meet young Clyde Barrow, son of poor Texas farmers, who seems enthralled by the fame of criminals and gangsters like Al Capone. When we meet grown Bonnie (Mirabella Ziegler), she is working at a diner, still dreaming of being famous. Grown Clyde (Matthew Drinkwater), on the other hand, has just busted out of prison with his brother Buck (Alexander Cousins) and they are evading the law for what is alluded to be the umpteenth time.

Trying to escape town, Clyde encounters Bonnie on the road with car trouble, and their chemistry is undeniable. They spend several lusty days together, and Bonnie reveals her dream of being a famous performer to Clyde in “How ‘Bout A Dance,” a sultry, jazzy number in which Bonnie seductively puts her clothes back on.

Buck’s wife Blanche (Lauren Landman) convinces Buck to get right with the law and the Lord, and he agrees to turn himself in after an energizing ensemble number “God’s Arms Are Always Open,” but Clyde gets arrested by Ted (Phillip Christiansen), a young deputy who sees himself as a suitor for Bonnie. In the jail, Clyde and Ted perform a plaintive duet “You Can Do Better Than Him,” both singing of their love for Bonnie. This is followed by a somewhat parallel duet by Bonnie and Blanche, “You Love Who You Love,” in which they admit that the criminal activities of their men do not diminish their love.

Clyde is brutally abused in jail, and he convinces Bonnie to smuggle in a gun. Clyde vows to take matters into his own hands in the electrifying number “Raise A Little Hell.” When he kills two men and breaks out of jail, Clyde finds himself past the point of no return, but with Bonnie by his side they pledge to be a team in the rousing “This World Will Remember Us.”

Bonnie and Clyde begin their life of crime, robbing stores and gas stations to support themselves, and escaping across state lines to avoid capture. After Clyde shoots a deputy during one such robbery, Bonnie decides she wants to leave, but realizes her love for Clyde will prevent her ever leaving him in “Too Late To Turn Back Now.” When they see their names in the papers, Bonnie and Clyde’s egos are fueled and they feel like folk heroes.

They get bolder in their robberies, and Clyde gets shot in the shoulder. Buck decides to join them, and Blanche reluctantly goes along. Even though they are now committing crimes together as a gang, there are moments of tenderness between the couples, such as when Clyde sits in a bathtub with a ukulele and makes up a sweet love song, “Bonnie.” When Blanche asks Bonnie how she can live this way, Bonnie asserts that Clyde’s love and loyalty are more important to her than the consequences of their crimes, in “Dyin’ Ain’t So Bad.”

After a violent shootout with lawmen results in Buck’s death and Blanche’s arrest, Clyde finally feels some remorse for what he has done. Bonnie and Clyde are now resigned to the idea that their spree will soon end, and they would rather meet the same fate as Buck than end up in jail like Blanche. They pledge, in love, that they will go down together in “Dyin’ Ain’t So Bad (Reprise).”

Overall, Bonnie & Clyde is a wonderful, tragic romance, with exciting, memorable and provocative music. The musical numbers make absolute sense in the context of the story, and they also make sense for the characters who sing them. The show moves along with energy and none of the minutes on stage are wasted. The intensity of some of the scenes spills into the audience in various ways. During the scene where Bonnie must dig into Clyde’s shoulder and pull the bullet out of his wound with her bare fingers, I found myself clenching my teeth and wincing with Clyde.

This Riverbank cast is excellent, with four tremendously strong leads supported by a great ensemble. Ziegler (Bonnie), Cousins (Buck) and Landman (Blanche) all performed their vocals with strength and ease, giving great impact to the story their characters were telling.

It is Matthew Drinkwater’s performance as Clyde that had my heart pounding, had me leaning forward in my seat, had me silently uttering “Wow.” He embodied the wildly disparate aspects of Clyde’s personality—his tender devotion to Bonnie versus his reckless disregard of everyone else—with skill. Drinkwine’s vocal talent is undeniable, but he never, for a single moment, stopped being Clyde for the sake of hitting a note. In “Raise A Little Hell,” Drinkwater’s passion and volatility exploded beyond the stage and filled the theater. In an exceptionally memorable show, he gave a performance that was beyond memorable.

There really were no downsides to this production, aside from a couple moments with mic glitches. This show is gritty, but not raunchy. There are several scenes of gun violence, along with sexual content, some language, smoking and alcohol use, so leave the little ones at home. Bonnie & Clyde runs through March 10, 2024 at The Riverbank Theatre.