Escape to Margaritaville - Ivoryton Playhouse

The jukebox musical, Escape to Margaritaville, is a laid back, a little too carefree, celebration of the songs and Island escapism lifestyle of Jimmy Buffet.  For diehard Parrotheads, the show echoes the easygoing ethos of the musician.  However, for non-fans or audience members unfamiliar with Buffet’s works, outside his innocuous Top 10 hit, “Margaritaville,” the musical comes across as silly, with an overly contrived, frivolous book by Greg Garcia and Mike O’Malley. 

 

Sam Sherwood and the cast of Escape to Margaritaville.

In Escape to Margaritaville, there’s a twist on the standard boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl.  In the show, it’s girls (Rachel, a brainiac scientist and Tammy, her soon-to-be married best friend) jet setting to an island paradise for a last getaway where they meet boys (Tully, a charismatic beach bum and Brick, his schlumpy pal).  The beautiful, workaholic woman and Casanova hook up as do Tammy and Brick.  The time at the beach is magical for both couples until it’s time to return to everyday life - Rachel, to see if she can raise money for her energizing potato idea and Tammy to her cretin fiancée.  Did I mention a spewing volcano?  I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say everything works out romantically in the end for our endearing twosomes.

 

Besides the problematic book, most tunes in Escape to Margaritaville have never been radio mainstays.  Only a few have cracked the Top 40 - "Cheeseburger in Paradise," "Come Monday," and "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes."  While many in the audience sang along to a number of songs, a jukebox musical without an abundance of well-known, recognizable compositions by an artist is markedly handicapped.  The songs are given a high-gloss finish by the on-stage band under the guidance of Musical Director Dan Gibson.

 

Margaret Dudasik and Sam Sherwood in Escape to Margaritaville.

The four main characters are rather endearing, especially Maggie Bera’s Tammy and Beau Bradshaw’s Brick.  They are so adorably goofy and inject a humorous zing in their scenes.  Sam Sherwood, imbues Tully with a charming personality and unhurried devil-may-care attitude towards life.  He is an accomplished musician, strumming his ever-present guitar throughout the show.  Margaret Dudasik is solid as the aloof researcher, Rachel, that finds love.  LaDonna Burns, who has enlivened many productions in the state this year – Ghost at Music Theatre of CT last April,  Rock of Ages at Sharon Playhouse this past June, Mary Poppins at STONC in July, and now Escape to Margarvitaville – has her talents underutilized as a bar owner trying to run her business while throwing out wisecracks and bon mots.  Don Noble’s J.D., an aged island bohemian, is convincing as an eccentric, idiosyncratic nonconformist.

 

Director and Choreographer Clint Hromsco brings a lighthearted, breezy guidance to the show, which could use a bit more polish.  He tries to invigorate the show with kooky characters and choreographic flourishes to gussie up the multitude of songs within the production.  Most of the dance numbers, though, are missing a high spirited vivacity.  Two routines do stand out – a Michael Jackson “Thriller” inspired revelry with Brick and a fun-filled romp to “Cheeseburger in Paradise.”

Members of the cast of Escape to Margaritaville.

 

Scenic Designer Cully Long’s sets provide a tropical vibe.  Marcus Abbott’s Lighting Design augments a few menacing moments during the jungle scenes and, with the assistance of Sound Designer Dustin Pfaender, adds to the peril of the impending volcanic eruption.

 

Escape to Margaritaville, now playing at the Ivoryton Playhouse through September 15.  Click here for dates, times and ticket information.

Once Upon a Mattress - Broadway

The Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress, the first musical of the 2024 – 2025 season, is a fun, rollicking goodtime.  This edition was first seen last winter as one of the Encores! presentations.  Starring Broadway’s reigning queen of comedy, Sutton Foster, the show is a comedic gem.  Carol Burnett rocketed to stardom in the initial production of the musical back in 1959.  Ms. Foster is probably one of the few stage actresses that can come close to equaling the legendary comedienne’s performance.

Sutton Foster in the Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress.

The score, with music by Mary Rodgers and lyrics by Marshall Barer, is tuneful with witty, clever lyrics.  The original book by Marshall Barer, Jay Thompson, and Dean Fuller has been gussied up and slightly updated by Amy Sherman-Palladino.  The story plays like an extended Fractured Fairy Tale, the animated series from the 1960’s.  Here the librettists riff on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Princess and the Pea.  

 

Prince Dauntless (Michael Urie) is searching for a bride, which will then allow all other couples in the kingdom to marry.  All the candidates, up to this point, have been rejected by his mother, Queen Aggravain (Ana Gasteyer) because they cannot pass her unpassable tests.  Enter Princess Winnifred the Woebegone (Sutton Foster), an unlikely possibility hailing from the northern swamplands.  Dauntless is smitten, even though her demeanor and behavior are rather peculiar.  The Queen is not amused and enlists her Wizard (Brooks Ashmanskas) to help squash her son’s desires.  The King, Sextimus the Silent (David Patrick Kelly), who cannot speak, is unable to aid his son.  The Jester (Daniel Breaker), an droll narrator, works behind-the-scenes, to help the young prince.  Adding to the shenanigans is the secondary love story of Sir Harry (Will Chase) and Lady Larken (Nikki Renée Daniels).  Everything comes to a head when Princess Winifred must pass a test of sleeping through the night and not detecting a small pea inserted under the bottom of a stack of mattresses.   I think most of us know what happens.

Sutton Foster in the Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress.

 

The cast for Once Upon a Mattress is outstanding.  Ms. Foster, gangly and a free-spirit, is always a triple threat.  She enlivens the musical whenever she is on stage with her no-holds barred tomfoolery, vocalizing, and marvelous dancing.  The Act I ending “Song of Love” is a tour de force production number, encapsulating all her talents.  Michael Urie, in a role so perfectly matched with his comedic talents, is ideal as the hopeless Prince Dauntless.  He and Ms. Foster make for a winning pair.  Ana Gasteyer’s Queen Aggravain adds a dash of malevolent wickedness to the show.  Brooks Ashmanskas, always a welcome addition to any show, is comically inept as Wizard.  Daniel Breaker, showing a satisfying restraint, is wonderful as Jester.  Will Chase is delightful as the good-natured ninny, Sir Harry, Nikki Renée Daniels is divine as the beautiful Lady Larken.  And what a voice!  David Patrick Kelly provides warmth and tenderness as King Sextimus the Silent.

Michael Urie and Sutton Foster in the Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress.

Director Lear DeBessonet, who shepherded a previous Encores! production to Broadway – the brilliantly conceived 2022 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods – works her magic once again for Once Upon a Mattress.  The show moves along at a breezy pace, giving the bevy of comedic performers room to weave their magic spell.

 

Choreography Lorin Latarro, who has been a very busy choreographer on Broadway and in regional theater, creates both exuberant dance numbers as well as more subdued dance routines for the cast.  She does ensure Ms. Foster has her moments to be in the spotlight and strut her stuff.

David Patrick Kelly, Michael Urie and Ana Gasteyer in the Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress.
 

David Zinn’s Scenic Design incorporates a minimal castle motif of black and white checkered flags hanging from the rafters along with the upper half of a parapet, which separates the large on-stage “pit band,” under the superb guidance of Musical Director Mary-Mitchell Campbell.  Costume Designer Andrea Hood has fashioned regal gowns in vivid colors and a spectacularly muddy garb for Princess Winnifred’s initial appearance.  The men’s outfits, also in bright hues, are suitable for medieval times.

 

Once Upon a Mattress, an enchanting and entertaining musical.

 

JOB - Broadway

The psychological thriller JOB, begins, almost literally, with a bang.  The premise of the one-act show is outwardly simple – a client (Jane), a user-care employee at an unnamed Internet giant, has a severe meltdown at work that, unfortunately, goes viral.  She now must seek approval of her mental fitness from a therapist, Lloyd, in order to return to work. 

 

Sydney Lemon and Peter Friedman in JOB.

Jane is a young professional who, at times, rants about her personal and corporate life and technology and its usage.  She can be combative and sarcastic.  Her inner thoughts – her demons - are displayed by harsh lighting (Lighting Designer Mextly Couzin) and blaring sounds (Sound Designer Cody Spencer) emanating from small, rectangular boxes affixed to the back of the stage.  Jane, we soon discover, has a need to protect the public with the power and responsibility she possesses combing and then ridding the Internet of really bad stuff.

 

Her gatekeeper back to the working world is Lloyd, a 60ish therapist, an aged hippie with a high opinion of himself and his abilities.  He cajoles, argues and just talks with Jane seeking mitigating factors for her behavior and attitudes.

 

Max Wolf Friedlich’s play is full of drama and can have audience members at the edge of their seats.  At times JOB becomes somewhat talky and meandering, but there is a method to the twisting threads embedded in the show as well as hints for the climatic finish.

 

Peter Friedman and Sydney Lemon in JOB.

Director Michael Herwitz, working with Scenic Designer Scott Penner’s simply decorated office setting, keeps the tension high, While the two characters are sitting through most of the show, Herwitz skillfully mixes up the tête-à-têtes with jumpy movements and adeptly integrating Jane’s internal thoughts into the production.  There’s also the gun.  Did I mention a gun?

 

The cast is superb, led by Sydney Lemon as Jane.  The actress brings a focused intensity to the role that is unnerving, pathetic and heartbreaking.  She can nimbly change gears from chillingly calculating to icily rational.  Peter Friedman’s Lloyd has an affable air, a fatherly quality.  The actor deftly balances a clinician’s concern and probing with arrogance and self-importance. 

 

JOB, a smart, clever thriller and a welcome addition to the Broadway stage.

Love Affair - Legacy Theatre

Love Affair, the new musical receiving its world premiere at the Legacy Theatre, is based on the long forgotten 1939 film of the same name.  In this reviewer’s opinion, the story requires suspending logic and plausibility, even though the plot was probably not out-of-place in the 1930’s.  While the small show has an engaging cast, some tuneful songs and snappy choreography, the musical’s book letdowns the production. 

 

Janet Dickinson, Amber Emerson, Dominic Pagliaro, Emily Steinhardt and Michelle Aravena. Photo by Sam Bibbins.

Essentially, the plot for Love Affair is one of the mainstays of theater and film – boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl.  Jamie Burnett’s Scenic Design successfully utilizes painted backdrops, vintage travel posters, and a small staircase to evoke the two locales of the production.   

 

The Act I setting is aboard the cruise liner, S.S. Napoli.  There, we meet Michel Marnet, a good-looking Frenchman and Casanova, played with perfect aplomb by Michael Starr.  He is a failed painter, but his outlook is bright, now that he is engaged to an American heiress waiting for him in New York City.  On board, Michel serendipitously encounters Terry McKay (Michelle Aravena), a more practical, play-by-the-rules woman who also happens to be betrothed. Her fiancée, conveniently, is also not on board.  A whirlwind romance ensues during the 8-day voyage.  When they dock, plans are made, but tragedy upends their future together.  However, in the end, love wins out as Michel and Terry triumph over adversary.

 

Michelle Aravena and Michael Starr. Photo by Sam Bibbins.

Love Affair has a libretto, music, and lyrics by Joseph J. Simeone.  Along with Matthew Couvillon, he is the co-choreographer, production designer and co-director.  Having one person with so many key responsibilities for a musical can be problematic, especially when decisions on editing and artistic direction are at issue.  Simeone, for the most part, is able to steer clear of difficulties except with the book of the show, which closely follows the course of the movie.  Act I is breezy, well-paced, and allows time for the two central characters to meet and fall in love.  Act 2, though, is too hurried, with multiple scenes and plotlines squeezed into a short time frame that, ultimately, undermines the musical.  Here, as with Act I, less would have been more.  There was also an overuse of hackneyed, cliché snatches of dialog, especially for Terry’s jocular friend Phyllis.

 

The company of Love Affair.  Photo by Sam Bibbins.  

Joseph J. Simeone’s score has lovely melodies with serviceable lyrics, especially those numbers in the first half of the show. There is an array of upbeat, sometimes infectious songs and moving ballads that help set the musical’s mood of romance and optimism.  The solo piano accompanying the score, under the superb musicianship of Music Director Bill Speed, successfully sets the overall, carefree ambiance for the show.  As choreographers, Couvillon and Simeone enliven scenes on the small Legacy stage with surprising effectiveness.  His direction, along with Joseph J. Simeone, moves the story along at a suitable, unhurried pace, which allows the focus to be on the blossoming romance during Act I.  As stated before, the directors need to reexamine their approach during Act 2.

 

The talented cast works well-together and the two leads have a real chemistry together.  Michael Starr is handsome and debonair as the womanizing Michel Marnet.  He possesses an outsized personality, but also brings forth a tenderness and introspection to the role.  Michelle Aravena is well-cast as the proper, decorous Terry McKay.  While not providing a lot of nuance to the role she, nonetheless, comes across as an independent woman seeking true love.  Emily Steinhardt is fine as Phyllis Knoefler, Terry’s wisecracking best friend.  As written the role has little shading.  Ms. Knoefler does have a gorgeous voice, which she shows off in many musical numbers.  Janet Dickinson seems to be having a grand time playing multiple, mostly comedic characters.  The actress, though, also gives a moving performance as the forlorn Madeline. Michel’s loving aunt.

 

Love Affair, playing at the Legacy Theatre through August 25.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Ask For The Moon - Goodspeed Musicals

Ask for the Moon, the musical receiving a developmental staging at the Norma Terris Theatre, is problematic at best.  It can be a good-natured romp with some funny moments and a marvelous cast.  However, the book, written by Tony Award winning Director Darko Tresnjak (A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder), is awkward and often baffling.  He also serves as the lyricist and director of the production.

There are a number of styles and genres the show wants to parody and directions the musical wants to take.  But it all adds up to a cluttered jumble that makes little sense.  This is not to say such a musical requires a well-crafted libretto, but there needs some semblance of order.  For example, the main set-up to the plot is to bump off an octogenarian Nazi wife.  Fine.  But then that undertaking is merely jettisoned, with no explanation, for a simpler, less satisfying solution.  While on a cruise ship, a disastrous storm is brewing.  The reason for this diversion?  Not much except to highlight Philip Rosenberg’s eye-catching lighting effects and the thunderous claps from sound designer Jay Hilton.  There are also numerous bawdy, lewd references that are inserted for easy laughs.

 

Ask for the Moon begins in an opulent parlor – one of Scenic Designer Alexander Dodge’s three sumptuous sets - of Helene Huber, a widow to a former Nazi commander she despised, who died a year earlier and left her a fortune in paintings.  Her lavish lifestyle, and inheritance of a treasure trove of artwork, suddenly becomes imperiled due to a slight case of bigamy.  Her husband’s former lawyer, a deranged Nazi sympathizer (Schroeder Studebaker), delivers the news, gloating that the dead spouse’s previous wife, is not dead and has just been released from prison.  He will be meeting up with her on a cruise liner, The Jewel of the Sea.   Enter Charlotte St. Clair, the former nurse to dead husband, who was not kind or proper with his aide.  She confesses to Ms. Hunt she had helped him along in his demise.  Impressed, the former wife recruits her to do the same with wife number one and the newly minted BFFs are off on their mission.

 

The cast is game for everything Tresnjak, who directs the show, can throw at them.  The shenanigans and hijinks – primarily scenes with a set of twin brothers and the expiration of most characters at the end at the end of the show – can be entertaining.  But each character feels underdeveloped, maybe because the musical is only two hours, which includes an intermission.  This leaves little time for cultivating each role.  Luba Mason projects a stately independence as Helene Hunt.  The Broadway veteran possesses a keen comedic sensibility as she sashays through the production.  Ali Ewoldt is wonderful as Charlotte St. Clair, imbuing her  with an innocent, girl-next-door quality, which masks a more lethal persona.  Both actresses have superb singing voices, especially Ms. St. Clair.  Jamison Stern probably has the best time in his multiple portrayals of the dastardly lawyer Schroeder Studebaker, the twin shipboard piano bar singers Grisha and Misha, and Helen’s loyal stylist, Persimmon De Vol.  Alex Dreschke is, well, outstanding as a dead corpse.

 

The score, with music by Oran Eldor and lyrics by Tresjnak, is a mixed assemblage of diverting, yet nondescript songs that spoof such artists as Gilbert and Sullivan and Rodgers and Hammerstein.  The writing team even throws in a polka number.   

 

One last point is to give a hearty acknowledgement to Simple Mischief Studio for their design of a pet, iridescent piranha and the wheelchair bound wife.

 

Ask for the Moon, at the Norma Terris Theater in Chester, CT through August 11.

The Prom - Sharon Playhouse

Kate Baldwin is delivering a not-to-miss performance as the self-absorbed thespian Dee Dee Allen in the Sharon Playhouse’s outstanding production of The Prom.  The actress, a two-time Tony Award nominee, serves up a master class in musical comedy acting.  She, along with her marvelous castmates, make this a must-see summer show.  Don’t dawdle.  The Prom closes on Sunday, August 11.

 

The musical is a popularly produced regional show (another production is running at Playhouse in Park in West Hartford through August 18.  Some of the descriptive information in this review is taken from the that production).

 

The Prom, based on a true event, centers on Emma, a lesbian high school student in smalltown Indiana, who just wants to attend her year ending prom with her girlfriend.  The local PTA, however, does not approve and promptly cancels the event for everyone.  Enter Dee Dee Allen and Barry Glickman, two narcissistic Broadway performers; Trent Oliver, an out-of-work actor; and Angie Dickinson, a lifelong chorus woman.  Seeking a cause to elevate their likability quotient, they zero in on Emma and her plight.  Arriving in mid-America, they cause more mayhem and turmoil as they attempt to “rescue” Emma from her disconsolate situation.  In the end, after much angst and soul-searching, there is happiness and an amenable resolution for all.

 

The book by Bob Martin (Tony Award winner for The Drowsy Chaperone and Chad Beguelin) is very funny with a number of musical theater references and asides to delight Broadway musical aficionados.  They have crafted characters which, in the beginning, appear stereotypical, but by the show’s end have grown to become fully developed, sympathetic and even kind individuals.

 

The quartet of actors seeking to “save” Emma display an excellent rapport and chemistry that lifts all their performances.  While consistently uproarious in their portrayals of the down-and-out Broadway veterans, they also convincingly layer their portrayals with pathos and honesty.  In addition to Kate Baldwin, there is John Scherer (Barry Glickman), who gives an appropriate, over-the-top portrayal that is truly inspiring.  His comic chops make every scene he’s in an outlandish triumph.   Danny Drewes, a frequent performer on Connecticut stages, is first-rate as the self-loving, perpetually optimistic Trent Oliver.  Savannah Stevenson, the more subdued member of the foursome, nonetheless, provides ample clowning and wit as the leggy Angie Dickinson.

 

Hannah Jane Moore, a recent Hartt School graduate, imbues the character of Emma with resolve and fortitude.  Her performance may not be as nuanced as her more seasoned co-stars, but her singing prowess matches any of the other performers.  She has a strong and beautiful voice.

 

The featured cast deserving mention include Sophie Nassiri Morvillo, as Alyssa Greene, Emma’s secret love interest; Erick Pinnick, the sensible, good-natured school principal Mr. Hawkins; and Ryan J. Palmer, as Sheldon, PR man to the would-be stars.  A nod also needs to go to the gregarious teen ensemble, which enlivens many scenes in the musical.

 

The music and lyrics by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, who also wrote the scores for Elf and The Wedding Singer, are tuneful, mostly humorous numbers, superbly performed by the topnotch cast.  Songs are upbeat (“You Happened,” “Tonight Belongs to You,” and “Barry is Going to Prom”), full of heartfelt emotion (“Unruly Heart” and “Just Breathe”) and contain a dash of sass (“The Lady’s Improving” and “Zazz.”).   The pit band, under the direction of Music Director Eric Thomas Johnson, provides energizing accompaniment.  Graham Stone’s Sound Design is clean and crisp, allowing for the performers to be heard without effort and not to be overpowered by the music. 

 

Director Carl Andress moves the production along at a brisk, lighthearted pace, allowing the performers to emote, whine, and pontificate without bogging down the action.  He skillfully incorporates Choreographer Krystyna Resavy’s stage-filling, vibrant dance routines into the show, which is best exemplified by the crowd-pleasing, full-throttled numbers “You Happened” and “Love Thy Neighbor.”  Ms. Resavy demonstrates her dexterity in the solo tour-de-force “Barry Is Going to Prom,” performed by Mr. Scherer, and the quiet, razz-ma-tazz duet “Zazz,” with Ms. Stevenson and Moore.

 

The Scenic Design by Christopher and Justin Swader provides for quick scene turnarounds.  The costumes designed by Kathleen Deangelis, especially those for the Dee Dee Allen character, are flamboyant, campy, and glamorous.

 

The Prom, terrific musical theater entertainment, playing at the Sharon Playhouse through August 11.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.