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theatre
| 7/29/2009 10:51:00 AM Email this article • Print this article |
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Synthia Link, Jennifer Long, Dawn Newman, and Becca Kloha at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse production of ‘No, No, Nanette.’ (Photo provided) |
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Musical Magic
by Barbara Adams
No, No, Nanette. Book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel; music by Vincent Youmans; lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach; original adaptation and direction by Burt Shevelove. Directed by Ed Sayles, with musical direction by Corinne Aquilina and choreography by Jen Turey. With Julie Cardia, David Edwards, Becca Kloha and ensemble. At Auburn's Merry-Go-Round Playhouse through Aug. 13.
If you lament that "they don't make musicals like they used to," check out the Merry-Go-Round's third summer production - the classic and infrequently performed No, No, Nanette. It's 84 years old and still kicking, with big spectacle numbers and a triple-play love intrigue, but still modest as all heck.
Where else but in a 1925 show - whose 1971 Broadway revival swept four Tonys and four Drama Desk Awards - will you find the decadence of the Roaring Twenties sweetened by husbands and wives who are madly in love with each other? Or a good-hearted Bible publisher whose notion of an expletive is "Oh mercy me"? Under Ed Sayles' capable direction, this entertaining production transports its audience to a cheerful, simpler frame of mind.
How could it be otherwise with a signature song like "I Want to Be Happy," the theme of Jimmy Smith, a New York publisher with more money than he knows what to do with. His unpretentious wife Sue won't spend it, so he's lavished some on three young women to further their careers - Flora from Frisco, Betty from Boston, and Winnie from Washington. Jimmy's intentions were charitable, not prurient, but the gals all fantasize that he's their sugar daddy. When everyone - including the Smiths' best friends Lucille and Billy, and niece Nanette and her beau Tom - unintentionally converge at Jimmy's Atlantic City cottage for the weekend, comic chaos ensues.
Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel's story is pleasantly predictable, and all the conflicts are cushioned - we're here, after all, for the fizz and the fluff, the romance, the spontaneous song and dance. Vincent Youmans's music (courtesy of Corinne Aquilina's orchestra) and Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach's songs evoke an earlier generation's fantasy of an innocent world. This is, after all, the team that gives us the beloved but childlike rhythms of "Tea for Two."
But beyond the charming vintage girls-and-bubbles proscenium frame (inspired by the musical's album cover), Michael F. Hottois' handsome sets, lit by Robert Frame, give us a quite grounded world - not escapist at all. The Smiths's home is vast and a bit tacky (those red curtains); their beachside Chickadee Cottage is all orange stucco and brick, overflowing with potted plants. (Though the soaring skyscape with the Atlantic City boardwalk will leave you breathless.)
But finally, it's Travis Lope's varied costumes that provide the fancy - especially with the large ensemble of 14 guys and gals. This energetic troupe frolics in collegiate sweaters, Art Deco bathing suits, gauzy summer florals, smooth tuxes and slinky lamé evening gowns. The costumes are overall a delight (with two unfortunate, unsightly exceptions - Lucille's petal-skirted floral and Sue's final "elegant" dress). Jason Flanders' wigs assure that every girl is perfectly marcelled.
But all the spectacle would be mere froth without this production's solid cast, distinguished by their uniformly fine voices. Becca Kloha's Nanette is a gem - poised, perky, and multi-talented. Sam Underwood, as Tom, is a handsome straight man to Nanette's naughtiness - or what passes for such. She wants to raise a little hell before settling down, but her Aunt Sue (an underplayed Joyce Nolen) makes sure she does only what's proper. Seems like almost everyone is saying "No, no" to our heroine.
Except her generous Uncle Jimmy, who escorts her to Atlantic City, where she can finally party with her peers. David Edwards is quietly superb as Jimmy, the moral man with a heart of gold; more than anyone he plays his part subtly and straight, not as parody. At the other extreme is Andrea McCullough's much-put-upon maid, Pauline. She wins lots of laughs with her ill temper and errant vacuum cleaner, but regrettably she's been directed to play over the top.
Scott Willis as Jimmy's lawyer and best friend is sleek and smooth-stepping, and Julie Cardia as his pragmatic wife Lucille is terrific - she has personality to spare and her vocal and dance numbers are dynamite. Jimmy's trio of would-be wayward ladies includes Synthia Link, Jennifer Long, and a sizzling Dawn Newman.
One of the appeals of this vigorous show is how a duet can spin into a full-company number. Choreographer Jen Turey keeps the cast all moving fluidly, with authentic period steps and upbeat tempo. Though the dances could use more creative patterning, the big ensembles that close each of the three acts are spirited and showy. Yes, yes, Nanette.
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