In 1926, Edna Ferber wrote a story entitled "Show Boat." Rogers and Hammerstein brought the story to the stage as a musical in 1927 and since that time, like the "Old Man River" celebrated in one of the show's better known songs, the story has just kept rolling along. It was one of MGM's most beloved musicals when it was brought to the screen in 1951. In 1993, Hal Prince revived the show in Toronto and it made its way to Broadway in 1994, where it once again became a big hit.
Behind the fun and frivolity, Show Boat is a show with messages about such provocative dramatic subject matter as alcoholism, spousal abandonment, and miscegenation.
The success of this show begins with a strong cast. So many songs have become American classics that it is imperative that any production have the talent to present them. In this, Davis Musical Theatre, ending its current season with the Hal Prince production, has succeeded very well.
DMTC co-founder, co-producer, musical director, set designer and light designer Steve Isaacson is also at the boat's helm as Capt'n Andy. Isaacson is always a delight to watch on stage and he does not disappoint in this production.
As his long-suffering, but never silent, wife Parthy, Mary Young turns in another solid performance, doing the things that she has come to do so well.
Kelly Mustain, as their daughter Magnolia, in love with a ne'er-do-well riverboat gambler, is a delight. She looks every inch the innocent maiden, is a wonderful actress and has a beautiful, clear voice. She is one of the high points of the evening.
Newcomer Tevye Ditter plays the handsome Gaylord Ravenal, looking somewhat Abraham Lincoln-esque with his stovepipe hat atop his already tall frame. Ditter has a wonderful voice, which didn't quite hit its stride until the second act, but he is a lucky find for DMTC.
The tragic figure of the piece is the mulatto, Julie Laverne, the torch singer passing for white, whose secret is revealed to the local police by disgruntled suitor Pete (Marc Valdez). Julie has two of the show's most famous songs to sing--"Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine" and "Bill" and Marguerite Morris gives both powerful performances. Morris, who is also credited with musical direction, is a wonderful Julie.
JD Diefenbacher is Joe, one of the most visible and memoriable characters in American theatre history. Diefenbacher (another newcomer and valuable find for DMTC) doesn't quite have the vocal range to give consistent strength to the lower ranges of "Old Man River," but one cannot fault his rendition. He has a booming basso and is a powerful presence.
As his wife, Queenie, Deborah Douglas, newcomer to Davis (and hopefully new regular for DMTC) is a delight--a multi talented woman who can act and sing up a storm.
In reviewing "Grease" recently, I mentioned that Amber Jean Moore was obviously a talented actress but we only got glimpses of her talent. The promise of "Grease" is fulfilled in "Show Boat." As the singer/dancer Ellie May, Moore is a knockout and the stage lit up whenever she appeared. Her dancing partner Frank (Laurent Lazard) was a nice complement and one wonders if the character came from New Orleans with that charming French accent!
With all this talent, it is unfortunate that the pace of the show lagged. With a delayed start and a nearly 2 hour first act, the ending time was 11:30 and that makes for a very long evening. Director Jan Isaacson has done some good work in presenting this show, but there definitely needs to be work done on timing to turn this "slow boat" into a "Show boat."
There are some inventive bits of scenery (I loved the revolving door in Act 2, which served as a vehicle to show the passage of time). Given DMTC's limited budget, set designer Isaacson has created a serviceable Show Boat, nicely complemented by Jean Henderson's beautiful costume design.
Stephanie Skewes gets kudos for choreography. I wish there had been program credit for the delightful male dancer, frequently partnered with Ellie when Frank wasn't around. He was terrific.
The DMTC 17 piece orchestra had a nice tone with all that brass, though quality was inconsistent throughout the show as, unfortunately, frequently happens with community theatre orchestras.
"Show Boat" is not perfect, but it has a lot going for it. I'm certain that as the company settles into the run, the pace will pick up and it will be a good, solid show. The talented cast makes it definitely worth checking out.
Showing posts with label "Showboat". Show all posts
Showing posts with label "Showboat". Show all posts
Saturday, June 21, 2003
Tuesday, August 21, 2001
Show Boat
The title on the program for Music Circus' final offering of the 2001 season says "Show Boat," but there were times during the interminable 3 hours when it felt more like "Titanic," and it would have been a blessing to let the captain go down with the ship.
Alan Young as Cap'n Andy, the captain of a showboat on the Mississippi river, is an embarrassment. Despite use of a body mic he could not be heard, which probably didn't matter, since he couldn't remember half of his lines anyway (and I swear was reading them from a script at one point, though supposedly in character, giving directions to the performers on the show boat stage). His Cap'n Andy had no personality whatsoever and he only became believable in the nightclub scene on New Year's Eve where he's supposed to be drunk and bumbling as he listens to his daughter Magnolia make her singing debut at the Trocadero night club.
It is a shame that the "name" performer for this production is so weak when there were others in the cast who are so strong.
At the top of the list is Derrick Smith, as Joe, a deck hand on the Cotton Blossom. His "Old Man River" was a show stopper and he received the highest accolades at the end of the show. But not even "Old Man River" could save this production.
As Joe's wife Queenie, Inga Ballard is outstanding. Queenie is a small role, but she stood out from the rest of the cast. Her duet ("Can't Help Lovin' That Man") with the showboat chanteuse Julie Lavern is terrific.
Beverly Ward and Kerby Ward as Frank and Ellie, the comic/dance duo are wonderful. Beverly Ward is a funny commedienne and the dance numbers for the two of them, especially the tap number, "Goodbye My Lady Love" were great fun.
Magnolia, the daughter of Cap'n Andy and his wife Parthy, who steps into the lead in the showboat's melodramas when Julie is forced off the showboat, is played by Dale Kristien. Kristien has an operetta quality voice and a face that could grace a cameo. She made a lovely Magnolia.
Marcia Mitzman Gaven gives an uneven performance as the singer Julie, who is of mixed race, but who passes for white until she is betrayed by a spurned suitor. She is re-discovered in Act 2, having fallen into decline. Though obviously under the influence of the liquor in the bottle she carries around before and after her singing the song "He's Just My Bill," the song is performed straight, with no hint of the ravages that alcohol have taken on her body and her voice. Though the voice is beautiful, the performance is not always credible.
Likewise there is an unevenness to the performance of Richard White as the river boat gambler Gaylord Ravenal. Though White sings well and seems to do everything right, he lacks the suave personality that one expects of Ravenal. There is little chemistry between him and Magnolia. He is at times so stiff that their love scenes might have been from one of Cap'n Andy's melodramas.
Patti Karr's Parthy, Andy's sharp-tongued wife, had some trouble with her lines as well, though it may just have been difficulty working off Young's Andy. It would have been nice to see some hint of real affection for Andy shine through that harsh exterior.
In a small bit of pantomime, Chris Weikel is outstanding and, along with Derrick Smith, was one of the highlights of the evening.
Abby Sassoon as the young Kim, Gaylord and Magnolia's daughter, was very believable, and provided one of the few scenes where Ravenal seemed to genuinely show affection.
Costumes designed by Dione H. Lebhar are lush and colorful and seem to be authentic down to the high button shoes. Parthy's dress for Act 2 was a knockout.
Once again Choreographer Bob Richard has provided an energetic, fast paced, well rehearsed, visually pleasant set of dances.
However, there is absolutely no excuse for Leland Ball's direction of this show. We were seated on the side of the house opposite the orchestra and must have watched 3/4 of the show from the back. One wonders if the actors were directed to face the orchestra, or whether they were so under-rehearsed that they needed the exaggerated conducting of Music Director Dennis Castellano to keep up with the tempo. Even when Ball used the turntable (which he did often), as the table would turn, the actors would pivot to continue facing the orchestra. At first it was annoying, and then it became irritating.
However, the coup de grace came in the final scene. For the dramatic moment when Gaylord and Magnolia are reunited after 20 years, Ball has placed chorus members in the aisles close to the stage, which effectively blocks large portions of the audience from seeing any of the action on stage whatsoever. I have absolutely no idea what Magnolia's reaction was because all I saw was the back of a chorus member's head.
For the price of Music Circus tickets, patrons deserve better than this show.
Stars: 2
Alan Young as Cap'n Andy, the captain of a showboat on the Mississippi river, is an embarrassment. Despite use of a body mic he could not be heard, which probably didn't matter, since he couldn't remember half of his lines anyway (and I swear was reading them from a script at one point, though supposedly in character, giving directions to the performers on the show boat stage). His Cap'n Andy had no personality whatsoever and he only became believable in the nightclub scene on New Year's Eve where he's supposed to be drunk and bumbling as he listens to his daughter Magnolia make her singing debut at the Trocadero night club.
It is a shame that the "name" performer for this production is so weak when there were others in the cast who are so strong.
At the top of the list is Derrick Smith, as Joe, a deck hand on the Cotton Blossom. His "Old Man River" was a show stopper and he received the highest accolades at the end of the show. But not even "Old Man River" could save this production.
As Joe's wife Queenie, Inga Ballard is outstanding. Queenie is a small role, but she stood out from the rest of the cast. Her duet ("Can't Help Lovin' That Man") with the showboat chanteuse Julie Lavern is terrific.
Beverly Ward and Kerby Ward as Frank and Ellie, the comic/dance duo are wonderful. Beverly Ward is a funny commedienne and the dance numbers for the two of them, especially the tap number, "Goodbye My Lady Love" were great fun.
Magnolia, the daughter of Cap'n Andy and his wife Parthy, who steps into the lead in the showboat's melodramas when Julie is forced off the showboat, is played by Dale Kristien. Kristien has an operetta quality voice and a face that could grace a cameo. She made a lovely Magnolia.
Marcia Mitzman Gaven gives an uneven performance as the singer Julie, who is of mixed race, but who passes for white until she is betrayed by a spurned suitor. She is re-discovered in Act 2, having fallen into decline. Though obviously under the influence of the liquor in the bottle she carries around before and after her singing the song "He's Just My Bill," the song is performed straight, with no hint of the ravages that alcohol have taken on her body and her voice. Though the voice is beautiful, the performance is not always credible.
Likewise there is an unevenness to the performance of Richard White as the river boat gambler Gaylord Ravenal. Though White sings well and seems to do everything right, he lacks the suave personality that one expects of Ravenal. There is little chemistry between him and Magnolia. He is at times so stiff that their love scenes might have been from one of Cap'n Andy's melodramas.
Patti Karr's Parthy, Andy's sharp-tongued wife, had some trouble with her lines as well, though it may just have been difficulty working off Young's Andy. It would have been nice to see some hint of real affection for Andy shine through that harsh exterior.
In a small bit of pantomime, Chris Weikel is outstanding and, along with Derrick Smith, was one of the highlights of the evening.
Abby Sassoon as the young Kim, Gaylord and Magnolia's daughter, was very believable, and provided one of the few scenes where Ravenal seemed to genuinely show affection.
Costumes designed by Dione H. Lebhar are lush and colorful and seem to be authentic down to the high button shoes. Parthy's dress for Act 2 was a knockout.
Once again Choreographer Bob Richard has provided an energetic, fast paced, well rehearsed, visually pleasant set of dances.
However, there is absolutely no excuse for Leland Ball's direction of this show. We were seated on the side of the house opposite the orchestra and must have watched 3/4 of the show from the back. One wonders if the actors were directed to face the orchestra, or whether they were so under-rehearsed that they needed the exaggerated conducting of Music Director Dennis Castellano to keep up with the tempo. Even when Ball used the turntable (which he did often), as the table would turn, the actors would pivot to continue facing the orchestra. At first it was annoying, and then it became irritating.
However, the coup de grace came in the final scene. For the dramatic moment when Gaylord and Magnolia are reunited after 20 years, Ball has placed chorus members in the aisles close to the stage, which effectively blocks large portions of the audience from seeing any of the action on stage whatsoever. I have absolutely no idea what Magnolia's reaction was because all I saw was the back of a chorus member's head.
For the price of Music Circus tickets, patrons deserve better than this show.
Stars: 2
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