In death, a new theater group is born in the Quad Cities. Elegies: A Song Cycle marks the debut production of the new Riverbend Theatre Collective.

Being a song cycle, Elegies does not follow a plot. It’s a series of songs, each in and of itself a little story, with the central theme being death, memories of loved ones dying. Thankfully, most are fond remembrances told after the teller’s gone through the pain of dealing with the death.

Riverbend Theatre Collective’s Elegies is set in a bar, a piano bar, with the audience at the bar’s tables, watching the performers mingle at the bar, drink and tell their stories. It’s fitting, feeling almost like a reunion of old friends gathering to tell of the loved ones they lost.

In my opinion, I expected Elegies to be more poignant. These are stories about death, after all. I found myself moved to tears only twice in the show. And only a couple of lyrics caused me to give pause to ponder the point made. I’m sure there is poignancy galore, but it is not immediately apparent in the first hearing. For me, I think it would take a greater familiarity with the lyrics to begin to fathom the depth of the show’s emotion. Or, full disclosure, perhaps I missed the poignancy because I’ve not experience much death in my life.

Elegies, however, is presented by a fine cast of performers. It’s a small cast of just five (plus the pianist and the bartender). And yet, RTC managed to put together a very diverse cast, vocally and in the way these actors ply their craft.

Bryan Tank’s voice is, arguably, the strongest. A pleasure to listen to, Tank sings with dynamic authority, able to control the strength of his voice to fit the feeling of the song. Tank’s performance, however, is heavier on the singing side than the acting. His may be the most pleasant to hear vocal presentation, but the other actors manage to grasp the sense that they’re telling a story through their songs rather than only singing them well. I was quite impressed with Tank’s performance in “Jekyll & Hyde” a few years ago, so I know he has the acting chops. Perhaps his songs don’t call for it as much and I missed that in the listening. I must say, though, I still very much enjoyed the listening.

Jackie Madunic is, again arguably, the most fun to watch. The moment she opened her mouth and let fourth her first notes, she had my attention. Her solo is five songs into the show, and yet, she’s the first to really tell her song’s story. With inflection, eye contact and body language, she drives home the song’s intention. And, she’s the only performer who managed to bring a tear to my eye, at the end of “14 Dwight Ave., Natick, Mass.” This is my first time enjoying a performance by Madunic and, even before the song is through, I find myself anxious to see her in other roles, to see what else she can do.

Patrick Gimm returns to the stage after a thirty year absence from it. And, I find myself asking, why so long? This man is a crooner. With a smooth, rich quality to his baritone voice, he could’ve sung me to sleep. Not out of boredom, mind you, but out of ease of listening. Like Tank, Gimm, too, could perhaps use a little more direction in the telling of the song’s story. Then again, does it matter? It’s such a calming joy to listen to him, that I almost don’t care what he’s singing about in each song. Hopefully, Gimm doesn’t withhold his talent from us for another thirty years.

If Madunic were not in the picture, err, on the stage, then Dana Joel Nicholson would be the most fun to watch. It may help that he has more of the songs that include humor, which allows him to play them out. “My Dogs”, a song about the dogs he loved, and hated, and their deaths just might be my favorite song from the show. And, Nicholson’s performance certainly contributes to making it my favorite. Like Madunic, he’s a story teller. He’s in touch with the tale told and tells it as a tale teller would. (Yes, I’m proud of that alliteration.)

Last, but not least, we have the woman behind RTC, Allison Collins-Elfline. She, too, gets it. There’s a certain, simple sultriness to her style. Also fun to watch, she’s got a powerhouse of a voice, with excellent control of it. While there seems to be some question of casting, with some claiming Collins-Elfline intended to cast herself all along (which I don’t believe), the argument is irrelevant, as this woman proves she’s worthy of the role. If she were so-so, or terrible, then I could see a point to questioning the casting of herself in her own show. But, Collins-Elfline is far from so-so. I’m confidant any other director would’ve cast her, too.

I must say Bravo to Robert Elfline, who manages to play the piano non-stop for two hours. In addition to playing without a break for 90 minutes in the show, he also offers background music for the “piano bar” prior to the show as the guests enter. Here’s hoping there’s a hand massage in his contract.

And, Esther Clement manages to pull off a realistic Bartender, even without any lines. The actors manage to use her well, to maintain the illusion of being in an actual bar.

Riverbend Theatre Collective presents “Elegies: A Song Cycle” in conjunction with AIDS Project Quad Cities, with a portion of the proceeds going to APQC.

Elegies runs May 16 and 17 and 22-24 at 8 p.m. and May 18 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be reserved by calling Riverbend Theatre Collective at (309) 757-1387 or purchased at the door.