REVIEW: Encores! concert revival of THE MOST HAPPY FELLA

That’s Amore!

A review of Encores! concert revival of
THE MOST HAPPY FELLA

At New York City Center – April 6, 2014
by Moshe Bloxenheim, Guest Reviewer

Within the first few minutes of the overture of THE MOST HAPPY FELLA, the strings, horns and cymbals of the overture joined in a musical
exclamation that sent a thrill up my back which pretty much stayed there until the final notes of the evening, when we all began to shuffle out of City Center feeling that we had just witnessed something truly great.
Yet the plot is a simple one, focusing on everyday people; their problems and joys. Mr. Frank Loesser’s book of THE MOST HAPPY FELLA – based on the play THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED by Mr. Sidney Howard – features no villains or changing epochs. Set on and around Tony Espozito’s ranch in Napa Valley, California, THE MOST HAPPY FELLA shows how two ordinary people can pick themselves up from the wreck of their dreams and build something newer and better. Insecure about his age and looks, the Italian-born farmer Tony encloses a picture of his handsome young foreman Joe in a letter to the young lady he has been wooing by mail. When the romantically dubbed Rosabella actually arrives at the farm to meet and marry the farmer she has been writing to for so long, she is tragically disillusioned; not merely learning that her wooer isn’t the handsome young man she had anticipated, but that she also must deal with the crumpled and battered body of the much older Tony who has had a serious accident on his way to pick her up from the train. In shock and yielding to the pleas of the badly injured Tony and his friends, Rosabella marries him. On this tragic wedding night, Rosabella is unable to cope with the total overturn of her expectations and gives herself to the thoughtless but responsive Joe. It is then up to Tony and Rosabella to truly discover each other and try to make some sort of life for themselves. That they triumph so wonderfully and believably in this production is a tribute to both Mr. Loesser and the Encores! company.
If I had to point out the true star of THE MOST HAPPY FELLA it would be Mr. Frank Loesser’s sweeping and amazingly varied score. There are some very beloved standards in this song book; “Standing on the Corner”, “Joey, Joey, Joey” and of course that love song to Urban Texas “Big D.” However, it isn’t just that there are some wonderful tunes. Mr. Loesser’s music and lyrics carry the listener along, unfolding the action and expressing the emotions of the performers. This isn’t drama simply accompanied by song: it is all of one piece. Perhaps that is one reason why there is a tendency to call THE MOST HAPPY FELLA ”operatic.” The developing love of Tony and Rosabella is a simple and beautiful thing to behold, but when they express their joyful desire for one another in the number “My Heart is So Full of You” the show was well and truly stopped by the cries and applause of an audience that was deeply moved.

Excellent music and drama alone was only a part of the sensation that was Encores! THE MOST HAPPY FELLA. The cast sounded great and acted brilliantly. The man of the title, Tony Esposito is a truly good man who wants to achieve something better than he has – marriage, a family, a loving wife. Mr. Shuler Hensley was a very likeable Tony, whom we can easily sympathize with even when he makes the fateful photo switch. Mr. Hesley made it clear that throughout the show that Tony always had that bad deed in the back of his mind and he made us feel for the poor man and root for him as well. Musically, Mr. Hensley acted his songs with intensity rather than trying to be a perfect tenor. Indeed, he was able to use his body mike to great effect, taking moments that might have sounded technically fine in other hands but used a whisper here, an outright shout there or a breaking voice to bring drama and emotion to this rustic farmer. Happily as well, Mr. Hensley’s Tony may not have been the carelessly handsome Joey, but he had a rough-hewn attractiveness too, making Rosabella’s eventual love for Tony on both a physical and emotional level very believable.
Just as convincing was Ms. Laura Benanti’s Rosabella. This character is pretty enough to have men appreciate her, but also smart enough to know that she is one of many attractive waitresses and that she ought to find something better while she has the chance. Ms. Benanti knew how to exhibit both the good humor and fear of a woman who may have seen more of the world than she would have liked to. Rosabella can discover and eventually love the goodness in Tony, and like Tony she is a nice person who makes a mistake that she has to live with. In Ms. Benanti’s characterization, we wanted this heroine to be happy and feel deeply for her when things go wrong. Rosabella was already touching in her songs like “Somebody Somewhere” but once she meets Tony, Ms. Benanti musically met Mr. Hensley on equal terms of emotional power and dramatic skill.
I overheard someone describe Mr. Cheyenne Jackson’s Joey as “detached,” but is that a bad thing for this drifting foreman? Handsome and sounding better than ever, Mr. Jackson showed someone who wants to keep to himself free of any complications. When Joey feels that he is developing roots he pulls up and moves on. Mr. Jackson clearly understood that somebody like that would avoid emotional investment in the people around him. He was at his most emotionally open when he wistfully sang about leaving in the memorable “Joey, Joey Joey.”
Another isolated soul is Tony’s spinster sister Marie. Marie has long been Tony’s caregiver and support. She does not want to be hateful but she does not want her brother and Rosabella to be husband and wife either. So Ms. Jessica Molaskey had a difficult task as Marie: how could she show a woman who wants to break up our hero and heroine without making her an out and out villainess? Ms. Molaskey presented a very frightened woman who fears a future she cannot imagine. Even with her verbal digs at Tony and her concern over Rosabella we could feel sympathy with Marie who is seeing the life she worked so hard at getting changed beyond recognition. Indeed, Ms. Molaskey’s Marie made me wish that we might have seen more of her feelings and interactions. As it was, this Marie clearly had a story and a life outside of the play we were watching.
Only one person seemed to actually dislike Marie and in the number “I Don’t like This Dame” Ms.Heidi Blickenstaff’s Cleo brought the house down with her feelings, all the while politely acknowledging Marie’s doubts about Tony and Rosabella. Of course, Ms. Blickenstaff brought down the house with happy frequency. Cleo is the classic “second lead,” the one that the hero and heroine rely on to let them express thoughts that would otherwise be monologues and who points out destinies that might not be so easily seen. In life this is usually called “a best friend” and Ms. Blickenstaff made Cleo a supremely marvelous and credible pal to Rosabella… and who doesn’t love a buddy who pulls out a belly laugh with the same facility as she can generate cheers?
A perfect match for Cleo was Herman, the young ranch hand who “…likes ev’rybody.” Mr. Jay Armstrong Johnson played Herman as a truly sweet and amusing man who can never imagine the worst about anyone: If someone plays a trick on Herman, well; it makes them happy and hurt him none. Mr. Johnson carried this off with a real innocence so that even though Herman may be laid back and naïve, he was never an imbecile. Together with Messrs. Ryan Bauer-Walsh, Ward Billeisen and Arlo Hill, Mr. Johnson performed the wistful “Standing on the Corner” creating one of the most delightfully memorable moments of the show.
Mr. Kevin Vortmann was highly praiseworthy as the Doctor – a sincere medical man with a surprisingly fine sense of humanity as we discover in the superb “Love and Kindness” and the warming “Song of a Summer Night.”
It would be wrong not to mention other brief but vital contributions to THE MOST HAPPY FELLA: Mr. Wayne Prentlow as the Postman and Messrs. Zachary James, Bradley Dean and Brian Cali as Giuseppe, Pasquale and Ciccio who truly gloried in “Abbondanza” and kept right on going.
The rest of the cast was just plain delightful whether singing and dancing up a storm or lulling us along with a quiet ensemble piece.

If the company and material did a lot for the success of THE MOST HAPPY FELLA then Director and Choreographer Casey Nicholaw’s efforts were just as significant. Using the respectful concert adaptation by Mr. Bill Rosenfeld, Mr. Nicholaw made a rather lengthy show feel as if it ended all too soon. It is a tribute to him that the combined second and third acts of the show moved along as effectively and smartly as the first. Not only was the pacing well done, but even the smaller roles seemed to fill out and add to the vitality onstage. His staging of the dances was just as commendable, creating a “Big D” number that really packed a punch . Yet Mr. Nicholaw excelled at the smaller intimate moments too – from the already mentioned “My Heart is So Full of You” showstopper to heartbreaking moments between Rosabella and Tony that generated audible sobs from the audience.
Alas, not all the directorial decisions were perfect. While I actually liked the idea of Marie’s reconciling with the fact of Tony’s and Rosabella’s being together in the final scene of the show, I thought Mr. Nicholaw’s staging messed up the relationships between Tony, Marie and Rosabella and removed the purpose of Cleo and Herman’s number “I Made A Fist”:

· If Tony was not shown as lame anymore, why did Marie’s keeping hold of his cane (which he hates using) prevent him from going after Rosabella and triggering the final outburst?
· Once Marie and Tony resolved their issue, he never went offstage to get Rosabella as a man determined to keep his wife ought to. So what was all the fuss with that cane in the first place?
· Tony and Marie remaining onstage distracted from Cleo and Herman celebrating Herman’s willingness to fight for Cleo (a moment clearly intended to let Tony go offstage to get Rosabella back as well as ease the overall tension before Tony and Rosbella have their final quiet moment). So Cleo and Herman now just seem to be in the way and their number looks badly placed.
· After all this, Rosabella walked back onstage as if she was wondering where everyone was and Tony did not have the physical chance to show how he was going to go and bring her back.

With everything else so wonderful, this was just too bad and too late in the performance to be ignored; on the other hand there is nothing I could say to criticize the glorious sound of the augmented (38 pieces!) Encores! Orchestra under the musical direction of Mr. Rob Berman and using Mr. Don Walker’s original orchestrations. The only disappointment I’d have there would be if the company did not get back together to at least record this extraordinary music.

Like all of Encores! Musicals in Concert, there may be a full – in this case fuller – orchestra onstage, but Mr. John Lee Beatty cleverly set the remaining part of the stage with enough suggestions of place to keep anyone from ever missing full scenery. He was helped in this by Mr. Ken Billington’s very evocative lighting.
Naturally the cast’s clothing also set the location and Costume Designer Gregg Barnes went to town on the farm, defining the actors most convincingly and attractively.
Sound Designer Scott Lehrer clearly knew how to keep everyone sounding their best, but it was when Mr. Shuler Hensley made the best use of the amplification to add impact to his songs that I began to really appreciate what miking can do in a theater.

What with the narrow stage and all the sets, props and people, I can only express admiration at how Production Stage Manager Ms. Karen Moore and her crew always keep things running so smoothly and so well.

I am just sorry that the run of THE MOST HAPPY FELLA is over now. Would I see it again?

Happily, and repeatedly.

Still, there is something about these limited runs that make them very special: I feel mighty grateful when Encores! gives some of the lesser works a well-deserved chance to shine, but even more so when FRANK LOESSER works are shown.

About the reviewer:
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions.
I live in New York.

Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com

REVIEW: Encores! Concert Revival of LITTLE ME

On whom the Belle told…
A review of Encores! Concert Revival of

LITTLE ME
little me poster

At New York City Center

February 9, 2014

A wealthy, well-connected celebrity decides to share “Her Inspiring Life Story” with the world.  This is the basis for Patrick Dennis’ classic camp novel LITTLE ME which in turn formed the book for the rollicking vaudeville of a musical with the same title.  In bringing LITTLE ME to New York City Center, Encores! has spared nothing in their new concert production:  great performers, superb choreography and excellent staging, all of which set off this tuneful and happily silly show to the best advantage.

Mr. Neil Simon was clearly mining comic gold when he adapted LITTLE ME for the stage and Mr. Jack Viertel’s concert version does not tarnish the show one whit.  Miss Belle Poitrine has decided to dictate her memoirs to the fascinated author Patrick Dennis and give the world “the Truth” of her start as a dewy, well-proportioned lass from the wrong side of the tracks who, due to heartbreak, rose to prominent wealth, culture and social position on the right side of the tracks.  She relates all the people who have helped her along through hardship, war, disaster, Hollywood and Monte Carlo beginning with her one true love and all the other men who happened along the way, bankers, performers, producers, princes and so on…

The company truly romps through the show, most of them even being without the scriptbooks that Encores! had everyone carry onstage as a constant reminder to one and all that this is a “show in concert.  Only one script is ever seen and it generates one of the best laughs of the evening.

There are performers who understand the virtue of facing farce with an absolute straight face and Ms. Judy Kaye is certainly adept at this high comic art.  She sails serenely through the most outrageous narratives never tipping her hand at the absurdity of a situation (and boy can they be fantastic).  As a result, Ms. Kaye creates an unforgettable contemporary Belle Poitrine: a woman with an outrageous – but heroic – past and who clearly not content to rest on her massive pile of laurels.  In doing so, Ms. Kaye wins the adoration of the audience and gets some of the best laughs of the evening.

Neck and neck with Ms. Kaye in capturing the admiration of the audience is the young Belle Poitrine (neé Schlumpfert) who bravely climbs her way out of highly emphasized poverty.  Ms. Rachel York’s Belle is sincerity personified whether she is taking poise lessons in a hotel room with a rich banker or personally comforting a prince who has the pressures of the kingdom on his frail shoulders.  Additionally, Ms. York shows each step of her character’s evolution rising from naïve innocence to sophistication maintaining a blatant nobility and intrusive purity that makes her presence onstage all the funnier and likeable.  Musically as well Ms. York can do no wrong and when she and Ms. Kaye join forces in the number “Little Me” they wreak considerable pleasure.

If there is anyone who can truly blight the irrepressible Belle’s life it is Mrs. Eggleston, a wealthy snob of the first rank and the mother of Belle’s one true love.  While Mrs. Eggleston’s oedipal control of her son is not complex, Ms. Harriet Harris’ starchily droll demeanor makes her the perfect cartoon villainess to root against.

If Belle cannot achieve her heart’s desire there are many, MANY other men who desire her, starting with Tony Yazbeck who plays the devoted and world-wise George Musgrove.  The handsome urbane George may not be the man who can assure “happily ever after” for poor Belle, but the charming Mr. Yazbeck makes it a close thing.  His rendition of “I’ve Got Your Number” is both a seductive call and a wink at the real Belle that George can see and still love.

Ah, but then there are a LOT of other men in Belle’s life: The stingy banker Amos Pinchley whom Belle converts to generosity; Monsieur Val Du Val, France’s rude answer to Maurice Chevalier, Deliveryman and Hollywood Director Otto Schnitzler and Princes AND soldiers and, and, and…  All of whom are portrayed by Mr. Christian Borle.

This is the gimmick.

Little Me 1And a worthy gimmick it is too, for the dynamic Mr. Borle never holds back on the fun, allowing full lunacy of expression whether he is a man toggling through on-and-off amnesia, a Prince calling on his loving subjects with some rather unfortunate news or the innocent nearsighted doughboy Fred Poitrine who rapidly weds and widows Belle.  Not only does Mr. Borle play his goofy roster of characters to the hilt, but he also carries their numbers quite admirably (“Real Live Girl” is a joy) – especially in the role of the ridiculously wealthy, hyper-educated true love of Belle’s life, Noble Eggleston.  As Noble, Mr. Borle has gotten the deadpan demeanor down beautifully, whether he is explaining the difference between a gift and charity to young Belle (charity is better) or training a rapidly sinking linerful of people how to swim before the ship goes under.  There is no doubt that Noble is something of a wet smack (even before the boat sank) but he is Belle’s drip and he loves her – which makes him kind of endearing.  We know he will always be forced to leave, but Noble somehow manages return to Belle.  It is commendable when an actor can carry off a constantly varying array of portrayals, but it is really something when he must also perform one consistent role that has to thread its way in between his other characters at the same time.  If Mr. Borle does not deliver absolute perfection in such a complicated tangle of personas, he does pretty darned well.

Following Mr. Borle through his ever changing personalities is the worthy Mr. Robert Creighton who capably does his share to shift from role to role, matching the scenes as he ranges from the stingy banker’s craven son to a preacher in World War I to a prince’s aide-de-camp and so on.

Naturally there are a whole host of others who make up Belle’s life:  Her mother Momma Schlumpfert, who, in Ms. Gealen Gilliland’s skilled hands, can make even the oldest profession seem naughtily respectable, the Buchsbaum brothers Bernie (Mr. Lee Wilkof) and Bennie (Mr. Lewis J. Stadlen) who memorably launch Belle into show business, Belle’s fascinated ghostwriter Patrick Dennis, played with amusing understatement by Mr. David Garrison and a delightful crew of talented ladies and gentlemen who range from the rag-tag denizens and highfalutin upper crust of Venezuela, Illinois to the various friends who flock around Belle at the close of her recollections.

With the changes in characters and the loosely linked scenes LITTLE ME is strongly reminiscent of the old Broadway review, Director John Rando firmly keeps the narrative focused and the action flowing, yet there is an improvised feel that is well in keeping with the tongue-in-cheek nature of the show.

Dance-wise too there is a sort of “why not?” atmosphere that matches well with the show’s air of intense parody.  Choreographer Joshua Bergasse covered a wide range of dance styles and never wastes a movement.  He and the cast were clearly having a ball with the material and their enjoyment is happily infectious.  Mr. Bergasse’s arrangement of the vaudeville number “Dimples” sung by Belle with her union-suit clad “police” backup was one of those hilariously outrageous moments of theater that will always be stuck in my memory.

This of course leads us to the songs with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh and music by Cy Coleman.  How can one fault such an enjoyable score with numbers like “Be a Performer!” and the standard “I’ve Got Your Number,” especially when the music is performed by the Encores! Orchestra conducted by Mr. Rob Berman?  Under his baton, Mr. Ralph Burns’ orchestrations sweep over the audience with real energy.  Mr. Berman is definitely into “Little Me” and the musicians and singers certainly benefit from his enthusiasm.

The look of the show keeps in with Encores! tendency towards lavish simplicity.  Mr. John Lee Beatty is certainly a master at using the outline of a house to indicate a hometown setting or placing a set of tables and some small backdrops to create a busy nightclub scene.  His scenic designs for LITTLE ME certainly always highlight the action and never draw the focus away from it even when Mr. Beatty slips in his own small visual wisecracks (such as the Buchsbaum Brothers nameplates “BENNIE”, “& BERNIE”).  With all the praise I have been lavishing on LITTLE ME it is downright curmudgeonly to mention a fault now, but I really think that Mr. Beatty ought to remember that the people in the upper gallery cannot fully see the back of the stage; so even if his wonderful gag backdrops get a large laugh from the lower two levels of the theatre, there is an entire third level of spectators that he excludes from the jokes because of he did not consider the sight lines.  If this happened once or twice, I might have overlook such a problem, but such joke screens set off each major scene and leave the upper seats feeling somewhat gypped.

Still it is impossible to be resentful when we also have Mr. Ken Billington’s atmospheric lighting and Sound Designer Scott Lehrer efforts adding their own running gag to the evening by visually and audibly expressing – with some frequency – what true love means to Belle and Noble.

Mr. Paul Tazewell adds his own measure of deviltry in his costumes for LITTLE ME.  They may echo the periods in which each scene is set, but they are never museum pieces – unless they need to be.  Young Belle’s costumes alone are a skillful sartorial map of her advancement in the world and slyly remind us all to what her rise is attributed to.

 It is a shame that this past Sunday evening was the final performance because as done at Encores! LITTLE ME clearly deserves further exposure.  It is a solid, entertaining show that reminds us how wonderful it is to simply have a good time at the theater and walk out afterwards with a broad grin and a strong desire to buy the show’s album.

About the reviewer:
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions.
I live in New York.

Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com

  • Cast & Credits

    Book by Neil Simon
    Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh
    Music by Cy Coleman
    Based on the novel Little Me: The Intimate Memoirs of that Great Star of Stage, Screen
    and Television/Belle Poitrine    , by Patrick Dennis
    Directed by John Rando
    Choreography by Joshua Bergasse
    Starring Christian Borle, Robert Creighton, David Garrison, Harriet Harris, Judy Kaye, Lewis J. Stadlen, Lee Wilkof, Tony Yazbeck, and Rachel York

    With Cameron Adams, Stanley Bahorek, Meggie Cansler, Gaelen Gilliland, Arlo Hill, Reed Kelly, Justin Keyes, Eloise Kropp, Josh Lamon, Jenny Laroche, Samantha Massell, Skye Mattox, Paul McGill, Jason Mills, Vivian Nixon, Lindsay O’Neil, Manuel Stark, Clay Thomson, Kathy Voytko, and Amos Wolff

Want More Encores!?

REVIEW: MURDER FOR TWO at NEW WORLD STAGE

Duet to the Death

A review of
MURDER FOR TWO
At NEW WORLD STAGE

January 11, 2014

MURDER FOR TWO is a cutely tongue-in-cheek musical parody of the classic murder mystery. Marcus, an up-and-coming police officer with a dark past is called to the scene of the crime. A well-known author has been killed and Marcus must deal with the throng of the victim’s loving relatives and friends all of whom have some sinister revelation and all of whom are portrayed by a second actor.

Therein lays the gimmick; the two man play with the cast of thousands!

This is a very self-referential operation that could easily collapse into an uncomfortable mess of rushing actors and weird impersonations – a party piece that goes on too long and wrongly. Happily the authors of MURDER FOR TWO, Messrs. Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair know how to charge the show with enough irreverence that even apparent weaknesses contribute to the fun and the sometimes groaning laughter of the evening.

The prime driving forces that keep this sustained sketch romping merrily along are the stars Brett Ryback and Jeff Blumentkrantz.
As Marcus, the eager young hero, Mr. Ryback exudes a rampant gee-whiz enthusiasm that makes one wonder if there is a barn somewhere for this attractive young lawman to put on a show in. Of course, his barn is the very home in which this murder most foul has occurred. Mr. Ryback understands that charm and smugness have to be applied with care and he usually knows when to turn them off. Whenever he forgets to, there is always the wonderfully capricious Mr. Jeff Blumenkrantz, who can bring him to total exasperation with a shift of characterization. Indeed, Mr. Jeff Blumenkrantz not only hurls himself into all the other roles, from matron to fireman to small choir boy with a change of prop, voice or demeanor, but he also knows how to deploy each recognizable persona as a comic weapon, whether he is annoying Marcus as a garrulous doctor or refusing to shift into the appropriate suspect at Marcus’ bidding.

Additionally, both Messrs. Blumenkrantz and Ryback perform their songs with flair and abandon. This is considerable achievement when one considers that the two gentlemen form the orchestra as well, using the music as accompaniment, a dramatic device and a way to push each other’s buttons.

Our duo do not, however, take tickets or usher in the audience, though I am sure they would be more than a match for those tasks as well, but even in their current range of duties, they practically crowd the stage with characters to the delight of the audience.

The score of MURDER FOR TWO is pleasant enough. With music by Mr. Joe Kinosian and lyrics by Mr. Kellen Blair, there are enjoyable and funny pieces, but as is often the case these days, very little in the way of memorable tunes to take out of the theater. Then again that seems part and parcel of MURDER FOR TWO’s amusingly tossed-off atmosphere.

If the actors take honors for their diverting performances, it is due to Director Scott Schwartz that the show moves along in a rollicking way. This is a piece that might wilt under too much critical examination and Mr. Schwartz makes sure that the audience is not left alone for a moment to indulge in such a fatal activity. He ensures that the comedy is always there and that the one-upmanship between the two actors keeps us grinning even when things are at their silliest.

While the set might appear to be a bare stage with only the essentials, Mr. Beowulf Boritt has created an ingenious design that, through his props and Mr. Jason Lyons’ creative lighting, supply everything that is needed to create havoc at the old homestead.

Ms. Jill BC Du Boff also contributes mightily with well applied sound effects and recorded musical bits. Still with such a small theater, why did the cast need not only body mikes but external microphones? Are people in the production SO insecure about being audible?

On the other hand, Ms. Andrea Lauer’s costumes seemed like nice enough street clothes but as the show moves forward these garments provide their own plot points and humorous diversions.

In all MURDER FOR TWO is an enjoyable 90 minute comic juggling act that is very much time well wasted.

MURDER FOR TWO is currently playing at
New World Stages / Stage 5
340 West 50th Street
Between 8th and 9th Avenues
New York NY 10019
Running Time: 90 minutes, with no intermission

Tickets are currently on sale through March 16, 2014
Please call Telecharge at (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250 for ticketing assistance.
More info at: http://murderfortwomusical.com/

About the reviewer:
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions.
I live in New York.
Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com

SPECIAL: Steve Cuden Interviews Randy Johnson “A Night with Janis Joplin” on Broadway

Broadwaykingdom.com was asked to film Steve Cuden (interviewed here) interviewing Randy Johnson about his amazing BioMusical “A Night with Janis Joplin”

We hope you enjoy it.

REVIEW: BECOMING DR. RUTH starring Debra Jo Rupp

The Doctor is in.

 A review of

at the WestSide Theatre

With all the of persona-driven notoriety that fills the media, Mr. Mark St. Germain’s play BECOMING DR. RUTH is a refreshing reminder of how a celebrity can actually have a real background of work and achievement behind their fame.  Indeed, the title character, Dr. Ruth Westheimer has lived and worked eventfully enough to provide for several life stories.  This is a real surprise for those people who had perhaps giggled immaturely at Dr. Ruth’s sex advice show (hey, I was in high school and sex was ALWAYS something to snicker at) as well as the newer generations who may recall her quirky grammarian persona – Dr. Ruth “Wordheimer” – on Public Television

 Mr. St. Germain’s funny and thoughtful script presents a very matter of fact lady who has seen it all: the rise of the Third Reich, the founding of Israel, student life in Postwar Paris and the challenges of being taken seriously in the academic world as a very petite woman.  Fascinating as this all may be, BECOMING DR. RUTH could have easily become one woman-one note biographical lecture.  Instead the playwright ingeniously frames the evening as a visit to Dr. Ruth’s apartment at a rather chaotic time in her life: we meet the good Doctor while she prepares to leave her home of thirty years.  What with the calls from movers, agents and family and surrounded by boxes and items to be packed, Dr. Ruth is more than happy to be distracted by some company – even a theater full of people.  Indeed, the media savvy Dr. Ruth is not above smashing the fourth wall if it will permit her to cut off an annoying phone call, make a point, or simply let her guests feel more at home.

 A one person show can be a daunting task for an actor and Ms. Debra Jo Rupp brilliantly meets the challenges of BECOMING DR. RUTH.  With never a moment’s respite, Ms. Rupp deftly goes from phone call to packing to recollection, never losing the audience while she spins out the thread of Dr. Ruth’s life touching on: the surprise marriage of her parents, the fears of escaping Nazi Germany on a Kindertransport, being a refugee in pre-Israel Palestine, trying to achieve a doctorate while seeking the right partner AND raising her children.  Ms. Rupp truly becomes the survivor and adoring mother and wife who is still surprised that her desire to help people with sex education has led to such great media fame as “Dr. Ruth.”  Yet even if Ms. Rupp shows the amazement and the often mischievous delight in the Doctor’s celebrity, she is also the little girl who still expects to return to the family she had lost.  Dr. Ruth may not wear her heart on her sleeve, but you knowthat she feels deeply.

It would have been all too easy to fake a tuetonic caricature of Dr. Ruth’s famed accent, but under the dialect coaching of Mr. Stephen Gabis, I think that Ms. Rupp’s enunciation truly adds to the sense of “Ruthfulness” without any sense of parody or stereotype.

Ms. Rupp’s virtuosity also allows Ms. Jennifer Moeller to avoid the shortcut of heavy makeup and chic suit.  Instead Ms. Moeller costumes the Doctor within what she probably wears in the confines of her own home: comfortable apparel, yet presentable enough should anyone drop in.

 The excellent Ms. Julianne Boyd is the director of this tour-de-force.  She truly understands the workings of Mr. St. Germain’s script on both an emotional and technical level and beautifully paces Ms. Rupp’s performance.   Never is the fascinating Dr. Ruth anything but perfectly natural and believable even at the play’s more theatrical moments.

 Scenic Designer Brian Prather has provided Dr. Ruth with a credibly home-like New York apartment living room that has been furnished with the items that are so essential in triggering each of Dr. Ruth’s memories.  Additionally, Mr Daniel Brodie’s impressive projections and Mr. Scott Pinkney’s valuable lighting designs permit the apartment to most effectively assist Dr. Ruth while she entertains her rather large crowd of guests.  Ms. Jessica Paz also ensures the intimacy of the visit with vocal levels and musical underscoring that are clear but never overwhelming: After all, in a New York apartment, Dr. Ruth would never risk annoying her neighbors by being too loud.

 Not being very much interested in contemporary celebrity histories, I must confess that I did not enter the theater with the greatest of expectations, but minutes into the first act I was delighted and amazed to discover an incredible play that is full of sly humor, surprising laughs and heartfelt emotion.  BECOMING DR. RUTH is not simply the story of a famous person, but truly a historical and inspirational life that is opened up for all to see and savor.

About the reviewer:
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions.
I live in New York.

Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com

Becoming Dr. Ruth is playing through Jan. 12 at
the Westside Theater, 407 West 43rd Street, NY
Tickets by phoning (212) 239-6200, or at www.telecharge.com
www.becomingdrruth.com
Running time:  90 minutes (no intermission).

Follow the Show here:
@BecomingDrRuth! http://on.fb.me/18WFZLH  @DJRupp @AskDrRuth
More about Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Westheimer

Editor’s Note:
I have also seen the show and cannot recommend it enough.
I laughed, I cried and I shared some life changing moments with Debra Jo Rupp as Dr. Ruth.
You will be amazed at how much life this larger than life figure has lived in her 85 years, and hear stories about her life, loves and fears that you never knew. It is truly a worthwhile evening of theater. I suggest you RUN to see it, and take the teens too.
Caution: There is some frank sexual terminology used.
-elli-

View a bit of the show here:

Grenade:Haganah EDIT.mp4 from Ryan Gielen (Believe, LTD) on Vimeo.

GUEST REVIEW: “Soul Doctor” at the Circle in the Square Theater

There is a scene in the first act of “Soul Doctor,” one that features the characters of Nina Simone and Rabbi Shlomo, a piano, a chair, and a tip jar.   She smokes and plays, he sits and frets, and through the scene they invariably sew their souls together in conversations of race, heartache and loss, and the healing and spiritual power of music.  The scene, lovingly performed by Eric Anderson as Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and Amber Iman as Nina Simone, is at the heart of “Soul Doctor,” which opens on Broadway tonight at the Circle in the Square Theater.   As wonderful as this scene is, unfortunately the soul of this musical has been buried in Rabbi Shlomo’s storied rise to Jewish music stardom; the show suffers, as with many biographical plays, the need to incorporate one person’s timeline in flashbacks, a series of “highlight reel” scenes, and offers many unanswered questions while never taking the time to explore all the varied themes it introduces.

I attended Wednesday’s matinee with an open…well, an admittedly empty mind.  I didn’t know the true history of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, who traveled with family as a boy to escape pre-Nazi Vienna only to become a “Rock Star Rabbi” in 1960s America.  He broke with Traditional Jewish norms and took European Hebrew music into modern rock and roll and folk riffs, updating it, writing new melodies to ancient words, and connecting it to the youth of the day.  He even held his own version of a Synagogue on the corner of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco.  The audience sitting with me was an older crowd and more knowledgeable about the subject matter: the mere mention of “Rabbi Schneerson” caused a low murmur to ripple across them.  So, I felt a bit in the dark in my half-Jewish/half-Catholic, mostly-ignorant state.

 In “Soul Doctor,” the story of Reb Shlomo unfolds on stage like the pages of a well-worn and comfortably familiar book – the staging is simple, the set does not get in its own way to flow from scene to scene, and the story is straightforward.  There are few shocks or twists and turns to his story, although from an insider’s perspective I may be dismissing this as age-old “stuff my Mother’s generation went through” angst.  Humor (both Jewish and universally funny guffaw-inducing moments) keep the script fun and not too heavy-handed.   The show itself strives to tell the story of his journey to forgive Vienna and his enemies through song (all music is by Carlebach, with translated lyrics by Carlebach and additional narrative lyrics by David Schechter).  The show questions “how can you change the world with a song?” and “what good are the words if you forget the melody?”…basically, what good are you as a religious leader in knowing all the words written in the Torah if you are not instigating action and creating life-changing connections with your congregation?  After these questions were posed, I waited to be shown how Shlomo answered them during the times when he wasn’t singing; yet, only in one scene did we get a glimpse how the Rabbi taught his form of Judaism to his congregation without the use of a guitar.

Eric Anderson sings and performs Shlomo to great effect, with high energy and fervor at times, and at most times with a true inner peace and understandable love.
Amber Iman as Nina is fierce, funny, vocally spectacular, and showed her own Rabbinically spiritual side in music effortlessly.  The rest of the cast was also very wonderful, although at times some non-traditional gender and race casting within the multiple-character storytelling knocked me out of the mostly historically accurate world.  The music itself was well arranged and at times beautiful and stirring; however, Carlebach’s music flowed from one melody to the next without much of a hook, and I felt certain scenes to be over-melodized rather than simply spoken.  This is not a show to walk out humming the hit theme song (and “I Put A Spell On You” from Nina Simone won’t count), although from the audience’s reaction there were many of the Rabbi’s hits featured.  The standing ovation at the end was more a clap-along than applause.  It did make me smirk from a musical point of view when Nina encouraged the “congregation-audience” of her Baptist church to clap on the 2’s and 4’s, only have the entire audience clapping on the 1’s and 3’s instead…some cultural rhythms take time to learn, I guess.  The show also allowed for some beautifully acted moments; Zarah Mahler as Ruth, Shlomo’s student saved from the shadow of Washington Square Park, has a gorgeous song, “I Was a Sparrow (Schifchie),” which offers Mahler a chance to take the Rabbi’s lyrics and tenderly carve her heart into them.

 But back to the scene between Nina and Shlomo – their story truly hooked me, how two different people on opposite sides of the race, gender, and religion spectrum could connect so lovely and with so much fervor.  I would almost say their scenes in the show are reason enough to see this on Broadway, and to allow the introduction of his life into one’s consciousness.  Shlomo’s ostracization by his family and religious overseers became emotionally second to the relationship he had with Nina on stage.  Indeed, after seeing this scene my heart ached for a two-person show featuring conversations and combinations of Nina Simone’s “African-American Classical” music (as she put it) and Reb Shlomo’s reinvented Hebrew music, rather than a glossary-glance biomusical that left some questions unanswered.  Since the show blossomed out of Carlebach’s own daughter’s one-woman show idea, I felt the addition of so many scenes and characters diluted the messages inherent in his message and glimpses of his soul we were able to see were left largely untouched.

I’m not sure if I’m the target audience of this musical, although the emotional questions it offers are universal in nature – human pain, striving to deal with one’s feelings of hopelessness, and the attempts to heal our hearts through music and forgiveness are the same no matter where you hail from or what your religious beliefs are.  Seeing it caused me to hit Wikipedia and YouTube the Rabbi himself, and although my parents didn’t remember hearing about him during their time in 1960s San Francisco, I do believe his story is important to learn about, as his teachings certainly changed a specific generation’s world through story and song.   I only wish the book by Daniel S. Wise delved deeper.
-SI-


Eric Anderson plays Shlomo, the role that garnered him a 2013 Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical, for his performances Off-Broadway, and Amber Iman, making her Broadway debut, will play the role of Nina Simone.  They will be joined by a multi-cultural cast including Jacqueline Antaramian, Dianna Barger, Richard Cerato, Tara Chambers, Maria Conti, Alexandra Frohlinger, Afra Hines, Abdur-Rahim Jackson, Jamie Jackson, Ethan Khusidman, Dillon Kondor, Zarah Mahler, Vasthy Mompoint, Ron Orbach, Ian Paget, Heather Parcells, Michael Paternostro, JC Schuster, Eric J. Stockton, Ryan Strand and Teddy Walsh.

The award-winning design team for Soul Doctor includes scenic design by Neil Patel ([title of show]), costume design by Maggie Morgan (David’s Red-Haired Death), lighting design by Jeff Croiter (Newsies) and sound design by John Shivers (2013 Tony®-winner for Kinky Boots) and David Patridge.  Orchestrations and additional arrangements are by Steve Margoshes, music supervision and arrangements are by Brian Koonin and music direction and arrangements are by Seth Farber.

This production is produced by Jeremy Chess, Jerome Levy, Robert Beckwitt, Edward Steinberg, Joel Kahn and Danny Boy Productions.

The new Broadway musical Soul Doctor, about the life and music of Shlomo Carlebach and his unlikely friendship with Nina Simone, begins performances on Wednesday, July 17 at Circle in the Square Theatre (1600 Broadway, entrance on 50th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue), with an official opening set for Thursday, August 15.

All tickets are $135 and can be purchased through www.SoulDoctorBroadway.com, by calling (212) 239-6200, or at the Circle in the Square box office.  For groups of 10 or more, please visit www.groups.telecharge.com or call (212) 239-6262 or (800) 432-7780.
CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE THEATRE
(1633 Broadway, Entrance on 50th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue)

     – Sierra Rein-
(646) 961-3942
sirein@sierrarein.com
www.sierrarein.com
********************************
www.marqueefive.com
twitter.com/MarqueeFive
********************************
“Either you die slowly or you find the strength to go crazy” – J.B. Hapgood, “Anyone Can Whistle”

Guest Review of Encores! Concert Revival of FIORELLO!

Ballots over Broadway.

A review of Encore’s! Concert Revival of FIORELLO! at New York City Center

February 2, 2013

FIORELLO! is a show about politics, righteous indignation, ambition and love. It’s focus is the making of the dynamic and legendary Mayor of New York City Fiorello H. LaGuardia: nicknamed the “Little Flower.” The many eventful chapters in LaGuardia’s highly interesting public life are an embarrassment of riches for any writer to tackle and authors Jerome Weidman and George Abbot limit themselves to relating Fiorello’s life during the ‘teens and ‘twenties, covering his progress from a socially conscious and ambitious Manhattan lawyer to congressman and war hero, and eventually his rise to Mayor of the now corrupt and depression stricken City of New York. While Fiorello moves forward, the audience has the chance to look at both the hero and his relationship with the people around him.

Essential in telling LaGuardia’s story is a musical score that goes a long way towards fleshing out the personalities and situations involved in FIORELLO. Beautifully presented by the Encores! Orchestra as directed by Mr. Rob Berman, the songs and music by Composer Jerry Bock and Lyricist Sheldon Harnick are spirited and vivid musical guides through backroom politics, strikes, the First World War, the Jazz Age and the corruption of Mayor Jimmy Walker’s administration. Politics may be a dirty game but Messrs. Bock and Harnick also make it a wonderfully tuneful one with such treats like “Politics and Poker” and “Little Tin Box.” Outside of governmental affairs we are treated to a goodly measure of well honed songs ranging from the comic (“Marie’s Law”) to the tender (“Till Tomorrow”).

As far as the cast is concerned the gravel voiced Mr. Shuler Hensley practically walks off with the show in the part of Ben Marino. His resignation as being Republican Leader in a strongly Democratic district and his surprise at LaGuardia’s congressional victory delight the audience Even if Marino is a political flunky, Mr. Hensley makes sure he is no slouch.
Aiding and abetting Mr. Marino are the other hacks of the evening who also earn a goodly share of appreciation. Messrs. Justin Barnette, Rob Gallagher, Kevin Ligon, Steve Routman, Nathaniel Stampley and Kevin Vortmann are always marvelously present for plot machinations – both political and musical.

Adding his share of administrative flavor to the evening was former Congressional Representative Barney Frank in a one-time surprise walk on as a Senator who advises LaGuardia on his first day in Congress. Rep. Frank played his moment gamely and deserved his ovation, but seemed less self-assured as a stage Senator than he did as a real-life Congressman.

Keeping the lights on in LaGuardia’s law office are the young bright eyed gofer Niel – played with amusing “omigosh” appeal by Mr. Andrew Somanosky – and Morris, the loyal drudge who has seen it all and will be the first to tell you so. Such a character might easily become the office kvetch, but the excellent Mr. Adam Heller imbues Morris with a good-natured tolerance and feeling of quiet pride in his boss that makes him both sympathetic and likable.

More importantly is Marie, the loyal secretary, go-between and driving force in LaGuardia’s legal and political careers. Ms. Erin Dilly is ideal in the role, showing a young woman with integrity and gumption, who would go far anywhere – if she just wasn’t so stuck on her boss.

The other woman in Fiorello’s life is Thea, the Ladies Garment Workers strike leader. I must give real praise to Ms. Kate Baldwin in her ability to take Thea from friendship with Fiorello to begrudging engagement and finally to romance. She manages so much with little time and one beautiful song: “When did I fall In Love?”
A friend to both Thea and Marie is Dora who rises out of the sweatshop to find love and eventually life in a penthouse. Dora is admirably enacted by Ms. Jenn Gambatese with a winning combination of cuteness and determination that is exhibited as its best in her number “I Love a Cop.” It is very understandable why her former tormentor of strike days, the Police Officer Floyd McDuff – played with amusing bluffness by the Mr. Jeremy Bobb – finds himself in love with her.

Ms. Emily Skinner plays a brief though very memorable role as the singing star Mitzi Travers. Her rendition of “Gentleman Jimmy” was a rousing salute to the New York of the roaring ‘twenties.

The other members of the cast deserve applause as well, expertly populating the scenes and musical numbers with immigrants, shopgirls, soldiers, citizens, etc…

What about the Little Flower himself?

Fiorello H. LaGuardia is not an easy role to play and requires the actor to carry off a thespian juggling act. The title character exhibits pushiness, brashness and impatience and does not even get a major share of the songs: yet he must come across as a likeable, admirable opportunist whose presence permeates all the action even when he is not onstage. I have heard from spectators that Mr. Danny Rutigliano gave a wonderful performance as Fiorello in other performances, but sadly the night I saw him, Mr. Rutigliano did not seem up to the demands of the part. Much as I truly wanted to enjoy Mr. Rutigliano’s performance as LaGuardia, all I could see was a very eager man who wanted to be liked but who did not seem to be enjoying himself very much. Perhaps it was fatigue or an off night, but this Little Flower tended to wilt: the eager reformer being eclipsed by a nebbishy noodge. As a result of the play FIORELLO! itself weakened and exhibited flaws that a stronger, more confident performance might have hidden.

To be fair I would not put all the blame on Mr. Rutigliano for FIORELLO’s shortcomings. While many of the scenes and numbers in FIORELLO are relished by the audience, Director Gary Griffin and Mr. John Weidman who did the concert adaptation did not seem to fully grasp the difficulties that adapting a musical into a concert format would involve. Primarily the problem of adapting scenes that would have probably been performed “in one” – that is in front of a curtain, to keep the story moving while a set is changed – in a fully staged production. In the evening’s presentation, they chose to present such moments as fully as any other scene forcing pauses in the action to allow the next part to be put in place. I thought this hurt the momentum of the show dreadfully, distracting the audience and hindering actors who could not fully capitalize on the energy of the previous scene. Then too, though it might be churlish to say this about a Pulitzer Prize winning play, but the Messrs. Jerome Weidman and George Abbot seemed to rely more on the legend of LaGuardia in this show than work to show what a marvel he really was. Without a strong lead actor to drive the show, FIORELLO shows itself to be one of those shows where we have to take the word of the main character and his associates on how great he has been rather than seeing how great he is. That is not the best story telling.

Still whatever story was present, it was excellently set by Mr. John Lee Beatty’s building block scenery and Mr. Jess Goldstein’s simple costumes that commendably reflected the time frame rather than attempt to recreate the ‘teens and ‘twenties. Their look was well illuminated by Mr. Ken Billington’s lighting.

I must also praise Mr. Alex Sanchez’s delightfully varied choreography and Mr. Scott Lehrer’s sound designs that came across as carefully balanced and natural even in the top balcony where the audience is directly facing the main speaker.

For all my reservations concerning this remounting of FIORELLO! – which had been the first concert Encores! ever performed in 1994, – the Encores! series provides once more the vital reminder that even if a show has its imperfections, it doesn’t have to be flawless to make for an evening of memorable theater.

(My thanks to my sister Cronshi for the wonderful “thespian juggling act” description. It is too good to be used without some expression of appreciation.)

About the reviewer:
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions. I live in New York.
Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com

Review of “Porgy & Bess” on Broadway by Sierra Rein, Guest Reviewer

Review of “Porgy & Bess” on Broadway by Sierra Rein, Guest Reviewer

I almost pinched myself whilst sitting in the balcony of the Richard Rogers theater Friday night (August 3, 2012) – finally I would be able to see the Broadway production of “Porgy and Bess,” featuring at least three amazing musical theater performers – Norm Lewis, Audra McDonald, and David Alan Grier. I had never seen a production of it before, neither on stage nor on the screen. I had only heard clips, and of course have heard “Summertime” in both classical and cabaret styles over the years. But I never knew the show from top to bottom, the characters, the plot, and am not an expert on the score or the history of the show. I went in with innocent/virgin ears and eyes.

It was brilliant. Moving, gorgeous, amazing music, vocals to die for (in both the classical and the more modern musical theater sense). The running time was obviously cut down to reflect Broadway audience schedules, but I could have seen another 1/2 hour of material. I know there are purists who rail against the cuts, the edits, the character changes, how certain songs do not have the original orchestrations or vocal harmonies as the original. And I say that I understand this; however this Broadway version whets my appetite to want to see more, so in a way it’s a great introduction to the original show.

What I appreciated the most about this production was the care the director and actors took to make these people absolutely, 100% real and emotionally present. Not a moment was glossed over, not a down-dirty piece of information was missed. Drugs, rape, babies, love, death, poverty, obsession, hope, nature, racism, big city vs. country life – all were dealt with from the ground up, nothing ignored. I felt immense tension all through my body watching some scenes; others made me tear up and have a lump in my throat, they were so gorgeously done; still others were perfectly attuned to the comic side for relief.

This was one time of many that I had seen Norm Lewis perform on stage, and unsurprisingly his Porgy was amazing. He just radiated hope and love and care, a true hero you wanted to root for. He was in constant struggle with his physicality, his crippled state, and it was brilliant to see him consistently hold that physicality for the entire show. His “nothing” with a wry smile into “I Got Plenty O’Nothin” was pitch-perfect, you just instantly fall in love with him and want to follow his journey with your whole being.

His Porgy was the perfect antidote to Audra McDonald’s Bess. She burned with the physicality of a druggie, from her speech (a bit of a stutter), to her sensuality, to a leg tremble that appeared at intense moments of decision. I have never seen her perform on stage (I have only listened to her amazing voice on CD) and I was awestruck by her ability to make Bess a truly conflicted character, and I followed her struggle and the love she had for Porgy (and moments of hopelessness for that love to survive) until the end. Her stellar vocals aside, I would watch that woman on stage doing anything – she was specific, grounded, consistent, and mesmerizing.

Indeed, the entire cast floored me with the exact same strengths. I rose to give them a Standing O as soon as the curtain came up for bows. This music is not easy, and to perform it with full emotional power is not easy as well (and sometimes dangerous to the vocal chords). Not one person held back, and the other characters on stage GAVE of themselves in full. I loved the care that the director made to make their stories as vibrant and as fully human in scope and power as Porgy and Bess’ love affair. I was rooting for everyone, and interestingly enough I understood where the villains and antagonists of the story were coming from too – they were 3D villains and a part of the world of the play (as a**holes are in the real world), not stereotypes. Yes, this is an OPERA and has the breadth and scope of an operatic story, but everything was done with such specificity that the audience should be able to track the true emotions of everyone involved.

And David Alan Grier…what can I say?! He played the scoundrel Sporting Life with stray cat pizazz, hitting the light and the dark sides of his character perfectly. It wasn’t too hard to imagine his character strutting down the streets of New York. I’m hoping someone in the future might write the sequel to “Porgy and Bess” (uh oh, do I hear a “blasphemy!”?) just so I can see how this scoundrel does his thing in New York. He invoked an evil Cab Calloway, and was pretty amazing.

I praise this production for introducing me to the world of “Porgy and Bess,” and look forward to seeing the original in one form soon. In the meantime, the souls of the story are being brilliantly portrayed on Broadway – it closes September 23rd, so go see it! My husband stated that it was the best musical he had ever seen (he’s a stickler for character motivation and storytelling, and he was just as thrilled as I).

About the Reviewer:

SIERRA REIN
SAG-AFTRA • AEA

Sierra was last seen at Goodspeed Musicals in “City of Angels” as Angel City 4 Alto and Donna/Oolie understudy. She also has performed with members of the New York City Opera in a reading of the new opera “Strange Fruit” and had her New York City stage debut with Theater Ten Ten’s “Ruddigore.”

Her vocal group, Marquee Five (www.marqueefive.com) won a MAC Award for Vocal Duo/Group and released their debut CD, “8-Track Throwback,” in 2011. She yearly sings with the Definitely Dickens Holiday Carolers. She has also performed in numerous composer showcases in New York and has become a regular at The Salon open mic. She has regularly appeared at open mics, for composer showcases, and has shot many videos with her puppet, Kay “ThePal” Pringle. Along with her husband, Pete, they perform online puppetry via www.ThePal.us (his puppet’s name is Jay ThePal).

Favorite credits: Chiffon in “Little Shop of Horrors” (Utah Shakespearean Festival), Sister Sophia in “Sound of Music” and Nimue in “Camelot” (Fullerton CLO), Nadia in Ovation-winning “bare” (Hudson Theater), Second Soprano in “Master Class” (Odyssey Theater), roles in “The Pajama Game” and “The Boys from Syracuse” (Reprise!), and Ellen Beach Yaw in cult favorite “A Mulholland Christmas Carol” (Theater of N.O.T.E.). In 2007, she premiered “Ridin’ High,” her debut cabaret show (directed by Calvin Remsberg). Read a more detailed bio here.

www.sierrarein.com
sirein@sierrarein.com

Guest Review of Encores! Concert Revival of GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES

The Merchant of Venus.

A review of Encore’s! Concert Revival of GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES
At New York City Center

by Moshe Bloxenheim, Guest Reviewer

May 13, 2012

Let’s face it: “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” may not have the historical significance of “Show Boat” or “Oklahoma” but this past weekend, Encores! proved most delightfully that a show that promises good songs, brilliant comedy and an all out hilarious time well deserves to be rediscovered by a new generation.

Based upon Ms. Anita Loos’ classic novel of the same name, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” introduces the audience to the deliciously motivated Lorelei Lee; a young lady from Little Rock, Arkansas who departs the Prohibition America of 1924 for Paris. Gus Esmond Jr., Lorelei’s wealthy young button manufacturing Sugar Daddy, is reluctantly sending her to Europe for “education,” though it is soon all too obvious that France has more to learn from Lorelei than France will ever teach Lorelei. As Lorelie’s travel companion and occasional accomplice Dorothy Shaw is Paris bound too. Dorothy will never have Lorelei’s mercantile charms but she knows how to enjoy her own brand of romance. On board the “Ile de France” the girls encounter a wealth (both figuratively and literally) of attentive men ranging from the attractively athletic US Olympic team to the wandering Sir Francis Beekman – husband of the tiara selling dragon, Lady Phyllis Beekman. Also making the journey is the dipsomaniacal society matron Mrs. Ella Spofford whose son Henry, Lorelei feels, would make a perfect match for Dorothy. Lorelei’s own love (and financial) life is troubled by Gus Esmond Jr.’s possible discovery of some events in her past and the presence of the determinedly clean living zipper magnate Josephus Gage.
All this and Paris too…

I must say that the gentlemen of the cast all did the one thing necessary to ensure the success of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes:” They never acknowledged that they are the joke. Being the unequal participants in the battle against sex, all men WANT to be used for Lorelei’s convenience. And from Gus Esmond, Jr. down to the cabin attendants on the “Ile De France” there was an earnestness of urge over intellect that assured the success of every plot twist and joke that came along.

Gus Esmond, Jr. the standard young businessman of the period: a man who wants to maintain the success of his father’s button business. Mr. Clarke Thorell gives Gus a sort of Wall Street “Ghee Whiz” persona that can make us believe that, for all her demands, Gus really loves Lorelei and would throw over the fastener fortune for her (against her better judgment). Better still Mr. Thorell never lets Gus exhibit an inkling that his fortune might have some influence on Lorelei’s ardent passion for him. Even when Gus utters such a belief, it is more the insult of a jealous lover than a man who fears a gold digger.

Gus’ primary reason for jealousy is his discovery of Lorelei wearing the first Paris dress to use a ZIPPER! A zipper manufactured by his father’s competitor Josephus Gage to be precise. Josephus is a gleefully prime example of the unnervingly healthy, athletic exponent of exercise and proper diet and Mr. Stephen R. Buntrock cheerfully lets the whole world know what a moving experience really can be. As far as Mr. Buntrock is concerned, Lorelei can get Josephus under her spell, but it a supremely wholesome hex.

Mr. Aaron Lazar makes Henry Spofford start out as a rather uptight, main line stick of a young man – the sort who usually interferes with romance – but the more Lorelei forces him and Dorothy together, the more he relaxes and wins everybody over, becoming the fellow that a girl would happily move to Philadelphia for.

On the other hand, when Mr. Simon Jones concludes as he began: having a lot of fun playing Sir Francis Beekman as a the eternally routed roué who will try to sneak in as good a time as he can have, when his formidable wife isn’t watching. Sir Francis would be putty in the hands of any girl so his scenes around Lorelei are entertainingly inevitable.

Also predictable in the best way possible are the father and son duo of Monsieur’s Robert and Louis Lemanteur, detectives hired by Lady Beekman to pursue Lorelei. In the persons of Messrs. Brennan Brown and Steven Boyer, the Lemanteurs are genuine stage Frenchman of the sort who are here less to move the story forward than to remind us that everyone is in France. They may be crude caricatures of the amorous “Oooh La-La” mode but they are enjoyable, fondly drawn parodies.

Another duo that is part of the Paris scene is the song and dance team of Mr. Philip Atmore and Mr. Jared Grimes who join Ms. Megan Sikora (as the ever rehearsing dancer Gloria Stark) in the show stopping number “Mamie is Mimi.” Messrs. Atmore and Grimes are billed under their own names and with their talents, certainly have no need to be onstage in any other guise.

Other notable males are the willing athletes of the 1924 U.S. Olympic Team. Led by Mr. Luke Hawkins, as “Frank,or the Olympic Team” and Mr. Eric Bourne as “George of the Olympic Team,” along with their teammates, these eye catching men may work hard to keep their amateur status, but they are pros delivering some wonderful dances and backing up the ladies on the “Ile de France” to the hilt.

If the men cannot see their status as prisoners of war in the Battle of the Sexes that is “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” the women are all eager combatants and the general who rules the field is clearly Ms. Megan Hilty as Lorelei Lee. Ms. Hilty does not so much steal the show as slip it happily onto herself like one of Lorelei’s diamond bracelets or a luxurious mink coat. She shows us a young lady who is not so much confident of her charms as she is unconscious that it could be any other way. Lorelei accepts it as natural that the best favor she can do for a man is to accept anything that he can offer her – especially something valuable. Such a character could easily seem greedy and venal, but Ms. Hilty understands that for Lorelie there is a generosity in receiving as well. Her pleasure in receiving gifts of bonds and jewelry is both that of a child getting a birthday present and of a benefactor who loves to see the thrill men get when they give her something. Additionally, while Lorelei can often seem childish and naïve, there is clearly a formidable brain ticking away in this young lady’s head, and Ms. Megan Hilty is brilliantly hilarious as someone who vaguely knows that Europe is somewhere near France yet can convince an unwilling businessman than she understands his business better than he does. And while keeping in this superbly comic character Ms. Hilty performs her musical numbers with unforgettable panache, truly stopping the show when she delivered the Broadway standard “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Here is truly one of the great Lorelei Lees.

Though Ms. Hilty may be the unqualified star of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” Ms. Rachel York earns much laughter and applause for her part in the proceedings. As fellow good time girl and travel companion Dorothy Shaw, Ms. York is darned good company for both Lorelei and us. Dorothy views Lorelei as we do: she is an audience member who is fascinated and amused by her friend, even smiling at Lorelei’s obvious disapproval of her own admittedly unprofitable tendencies in love. Then when Dorothy does fall in love, Ms. York makes it a believable process allowing us to see a girl who is first amused, then intrigued and finally smitten.

Mrs. Ella Spofford, the mother of Henry, is a dithery matron who can’t understand why her son won’t let her have a little drink. Ms. Deborah Rush knows how to keep Ella funny and likable as the lady who just wants to enjoy herself – even if she tends to fall into the bottle when doing so – and Ms. Rush keeps us amused even with Ella’s sillier moments.
Mrs. Spofford’s opposite is Lady Phyllis Beekman, a lady of imposing proportions and demeanor. The excellent Ms. Sandra Shipley knows that she is playing a cartoon of a gorgon and never lets us down as chief villainess, whether she is keeping an eye on her constantly wandering husband or continually demanding proper payment for the diamond tiara that Lorelei was born to wear.

Ms. Megan Sikora plays another one of the archetypes of the 1920’s, the constantly working showgirl who enjoys her time with the boys. Gloria Stark aspires to the comforts of a sugar daddy, but is all too often practicing her dance routines for an impending show. Happily when she has her chance to perform numbers like “The Practice Scherzo” and “Mamie is Mimi” Ms. Sikora lets us see that she well and truly deserves her time on stage.

The rest of the cast are all up to the same standard, joining gleefully in the comedy and tunefully in the music whether we are in New York, shipboard or in Paris. They are a pleasure to watch and deserve fulsome praise for their part in the success of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”

In the original musical Ms. Loos and Mr. Joseph Field had written a romp that parodies sex appeal yet even now has a surprising and rather refreshing innocence to it. In adapting this show to the concert stage Mr. David Ives clearly has understood that even if “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” is called a “Book Musical” the authors had intended that such a thing was never meant to get in the way of out and out entertainment. Instead of worrying overly much about plot development and motivation, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” occasionally lets a number take over the stage while the storyline takes a breather and we are all the better for it. Especially when being treated to the music of Mr. Jule Styne and the lyrics of Mr. Leo Robin who provide a truly great score consisting of songs like the uproarious confessional “I’m Just a Little Girl from Little Rock,” the insanely diverting “It’s Delightful Down in Chile” and the absurdly essential “Button up with Esmond.” Music Director Rob Berman leading the Encores! Orchestra deliver a polished sound that makes it all sound fresh and alive using Mr. Don Walkers original orchestrations to give us the feeling that we are listening the sound of 1948.

Mr. Randy Skinner’s eye catching choreography is just fun, moving things forward when it has to or deliberately recollecting a time when a chorus was there to set an atmosphere or simply show off the available talent.

Like everything else, Mr. John Lee Beatty’s minimal scenery, effectively lit by Mr. Peter Kaczorowski, and Mr. David C. Woolard’s costuming never try to directly evoke the 1920’s, but rather how the 1920’s looked to those were remembering them in the late 1940’s. Mr. Woolard’s attire for Dorothy as the chic flapper alone would have deserved high praise but his celebration of Lorelei’s ripely voluptuous charms clearly assisted Ms. Megan Hilty in creating her unforgettable characterization.

For the most part Mr. Scott Lehrer’s sound design was good, but there were occasional lapses of clarity for the singers. Indeed, I thought that part of the problem with the least successful song; “Keep Cool with Coolidge” was an inaudibility of lyrics that left the audience rather puzzled.

There is an old saying that “it isn’t only what you do but how you do it” and Director John Rando certainly makes “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” do IT! Blessed with a great cast, good material and a solid production, Mr. Rando makes sure that even when story is standing still, the show MOVES. He clearly knows that comedy must be performed earnestly and that absolutely nothing on stage should give a hint that this is farce. And Mr. Rando wisely allows everyone a chance to shine, knowing that this makes Ms. Hilty’s success as the star even more impressive.

As with every Encores! production, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” was a limited run that has already sadly ended. But between the excellent reviews, the ecstatic audiences and the demand for tickets, I would not be the least surprised to learn of this production being moved to another venue for a more extended run and I can only say that I should be delighted for the chance to enjoy it again and would recommend it to everyone I can.

About the reviewer:
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions. I live in New York.
Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com