Theatre

Vaudeville Smacks Boston

 Vaudeville Musical Tickles the Funny Bone of Bostonians

Final performances of this very funny farce are today and Sunday

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today's Theatre Critic

It seems fitting to have a 1928 Vaudeville musical open on the boards of a 1928 Boston Opera House on Washington Street. Of course, it wasn't called the Boston Opera House back then, but the marble walls and columns, gold leaf ceilings, red damask wallpaper, and oversized chandeliers-- dripping with drops of crystal--hark back to a time of elegance. Boston spent millions to renovate the baroque style theatre.

Canadian musical

The Drowsy Chaperone is an old style American musical with a Canadian flair. Canadians created and produced it, based on a true story. In the late 1990s, a young Canadian man, Robert Martin (played by Mark Ledbetter on right), was planning to get married to Janet Van De Graaff, and a group of his friends decided to surprise him with a 35-minute skit a la Vaudeville style. All the guests collapsed in belly-shaking laughter. When the wedding was over, Martin couldn't stop thinking about the hilarity that he saw and collaborated with friends to get this into a full-blown musical, which eventually made its way to Broadway in 2006, garnering many awards. Now it is on National Tour in the old "bus and truck" tradition. The two weekend runs in Boston end Sunday night, May 4 and move on to Providence.

Plot

Bob Martin and Don McKellar created the Book while Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison collaborated on the music and lyrics. The plot evolved into something slightly different. The leading role is the part of the narrator, who is in love with this old musical. He plays and replays the 78 records on his Victrola, imagining the show re-enacted in his living room. Whenever he makes comments about the show or characters, all the actors and dancers freeze until he is finished. The main plot is that of the wedding to take place between Bob Martin and his bride-to-be, who is having jitters. Minor characters slip and slide in Vaudeville slapstick until they are matched or mismatched into marital bliss. The characters play it broad for comedy and deliver short, sharp comic lines with over-the-top gestures and facial muggings. The chaperone is a vodka-drinking lush, who is drowsy from the spirits. When asked, she offers the bride no advice because of her intoxicated state. Mistaken identity and mad-cap songs, reminiscent of the jazz era and pre-Gershwin days, set the tone.

Big, well-defined cast

The cast is large-15-with plenty of swings as understudies. The sets by David Gallo are also huge and require a big theatre to accommodate the scenery flying up and down and in and out from the wings.

As Bob Martin, Mark Ledbetter makes an appealing bridegroom with an innocent charm. His strawberry blonde hair and Sorrento-blue eyes give him added dash. He's a pretty good tap dancer, too, with a fine tenor voice.

Jonathan Crombie becomes an endearing narrator and breaks the fourth wall to talk with the audience. For an actor to begin his monologue in the dark (although he manages to drag some laughter from the audience) and to open by sitting in a chair for delivery of his lines is tough--really tough. Somehow, he was able to establish a relationship with the audience despite this crippling direction.

Georgia Engel has a minor part as Mrs. Tottendale. Her comic scene with her butler is a hoot. He pours her drink after drink of vodka and she blows it back in his face, calling him a "poop." That's Vaudeville at its best. Ms. Engel is fondly remembered as Georgette from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

James Moye provides a broad Latin flavor to his Adolpho. What a great voice. Cliff Bemis makes a credible producer who refuses to marry his girl friend, Kitty (Marla Mindelle). This is not unlike the relationship between Nathan and Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls." The Riopelle brothers do everything in delightful slapstick.

Andrea Chamberlain plays the bride-to-be (Janet Van De Graaff), who is having doubts about the wedding and questions whether Bob Martin really loves her. She claims that she wants to give up stardom and a career for her true love. Chamberlain makes six phenomenal costume changes all within one song. Nancy Opel (the drowsy chaperone) wows us with her Ethel Merman delivery of songs in various drunken scenes. Fran Jaye punches out her songs as the aviatrix in a good ole Sophie Tucker growl. Her voice is powerful and fills the Opera House.

Costumes, choreography, orchestra

The costumes by Gregg Barnes are deliciously in period, except for the opulent Chinese opera garb, which has no relation to the show, but exotic to watch and admire. The choreography by Casey Nicholaw kept the big numbers rolling as did the 15-piece orchestra.

No intermission

To keep an audience for an hour and 45 minutes without an intermission is a major miracle.

So, if you're coming over the bridge from Cape Cod to see "The Drowsy Chaperone," fill up the car with folks and gas for two final shows on Saturday (today at 2:00pm and 8:00pm) and two on Sunday (tomorrow at 2:00pm and 7:30pm). Or drive down to Providence and catch it next weekend.

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New Musical about Ginger Rogers has Huge Potential

Give the new musical “Ginger and Me” another two weeks of performances to tighten the technical aspects and build pace for a show that hums. It has all the ingredients for a winner.

The World Premiere hit the boards Friday night (February 1) on the Cal State San Bernadino campus in Palm Desert, California. The new Indian Wells Theater was a good place to iron out any problems before heading to North Hollywood in April.

The show is essentially about the relationship between Ginger and her mother, Lela Rogers. Playwright Libby Hughes (who edited Rogers’ autobiography) of Cambridge and Brewster, Massachusetts, has used the theatrical device of the paparazzi to extract information out of the mother to get the inside story about her daughter’s career and love life. Lyricist Hughes has given the most moving and substantive lyrics to the mother.

Some of her other lyrics might be called too simple, perhaps repetitive in trying to capture the 1930s in a technique similar to George Gershwin. Hughes seems to like the word “everything,” which she uses in three or four songs. The songs BEFORE THERE WAS GINGER and MY ONE REGRET brought tears to many in the audience. Ginger’s secretary of 18 years, Roberta Olden, claims she cries every time over those two songs.

Gary Heath's score has that Broadway sound 

Composer Gary W. Heath’s music has a Broadway sound to the opening number, MOVIE STARS, the closing number I’LL MAKE HER A STAR of Act I, and DANCING WITH GINGER, which opens Act II. These are big numbers. For a bigger theater, a huge chorus would enhance these three numbers.

JJ Rodgers plays Ginger Rogers with  the same sexual allure through 15 costume changes.The major roles in the show are solid performances. The young woman who plays Ginger, JJ Rodgers (no relation), has a remarkable resemblance and stage presence to the real Ginger. She has the same sexual allure Ginger radiated. Rodgers has a phenomenal voice and moves around the stage with total ease. Her 15 costume changes suggest the timeline from 1928 to 1977.

Marilee Warner of La Quinta, California, captures the toughness and vulnerability of Lela Rogers both in her costumes and in her songs. Warner garnered the most applause at curtain call for her amazing performance. The power shift from Lela to Ginger is defined by the color of the costumes. At the opening, she wears a brilliant Chinese red suit and gradually wears muted colors as the story progresses. In the final scene, Ginger wears red, suggesting the power shift from mother to daughter.

Many of the cast play multiple roles such as paparazzi, chorus members, World War II soldiers and girls, diners in a Paris nightclub, Howard Hughes, several of Ginger’s husbands.

Director Allen Worthy plays five parts

Allen Worthy, director and co-producer, plays five parts, including the buffoonish Vaudeville actor, Jack Pepper—Ginger’s first husband. Worthy found professional singers and dancers in LA and the desert for the show. When first meeting Hughes on Cape Cod in June, he began plans for producing the show.

Doug McDonald, the young man who plays Fred Astaire, has an uncanny resemblance to the legendary actor. Although not the magical dancer that Fred was, McDonald is more than adequate.  He probably has a better singing voice than the real Fred.

When the curtains opened, the audience applauded the glamorous set. The whole backstage was covered by shimmering silver panels with flashing marquees: one with Hollywood and one with Broadway in the old style. A huge double stairway covers the back. The seven-piece orchestra is to one side. A dressing room is the other side. William Moore Jr., the set designer, gives a 1930s feel to the period set.

Choreographer, Paul Cuneo, has created some original steps for the chorus to enhance the Broadway feel. Their first big number of Movie Stars opens with a bang. Cuneo gives period panache to the whole show.

Marcy Froehlich, costume designer, created a range of costumes from the 1930s to 1970s. Ginger’s costumes are all sophisticated and alluring. Details to hats and shoes reflect the time. The major ostrich feather dress from “Top Hat” was almost an identical copy to the real one. Froehlich ordered the feathers from South Africa and dyed them an ice blue. All the costumes were stunning. The wigs and make-up by Lynda Schaeps were also true to period.

At the reception afterwards, I sidled up to the director Allen Worthy and commented on the lighting. “There are limitations in this theater. Most theatres have 100 lights. This one only has 54, so we were hampered. They will be adding another 12. There is only one follow spot instead of two, which restricts the movement of our actors,” said Worthy.

One audience member said that the show reminded her of an operetta.

Too long for those "long in the tooth"? 

Although perhaps too long a show for a retired audience, “Ginger and Me” is an audience pleaser. Many did not know the inside story of Ginger Rogers’ life. Sales of her book in the lobby went flying off the table.

The show runs Wed. through Sunday matinee Feb. 1-24 at the Indian Wells Theater in Palm Desert. Call 760-341-2883 ext. 14481.

• See the musical's website here. 

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Libby Hughes' musical "Ginger & Me" hits the boards Friday

Musical on Ginger Rogers to make its debut

Bruce Fessier
La Quinta Sun

La Quinta songwriter Gary Heath has teamed with a lyricist from Cape Cod, Mass., to create a musical about Ginger Rogers. This musical is more driven by Hughes' words than Heath's music. Hughes is so passionate about telling the story

It doesn't contain the standards Rogers introduced for George Gershwin on Broadway or with Fred Astaire in their musical comedies of the 1930s. But its Rancho Mirage-based producer and director, Allen Worthy said the original music by Heath and lyricist Libby Hughes will take theater-goers back to that Rogers-Astaire era.

Their production of "Ginger and Me" will world premiere Friday at the Indian Wells Theatre on the Cal State San Bernardino campus in Palm Desert.

It will run at least through Feb. 24. After that, it goes to the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood.

"You might see touches of (Stephen) Sondheim and (Andrew Lloyd) Webber," Worthy said of Heath's music. "It has some contemporary (sounds), little touch of the 1950s, a little bit of  Mel Torme. You'll see something of the flavor of the period. But you couldn't say it's Gershwin because it's original Heath."

This musical is probably more driven by Hughes' words than Heath's music. Hughes is so passionate about telling the story of the late Ginger Rogers properly, she said she turned down $300 million to turn it into a superficial Broadway spectacular.

Hughes, a drama critic, author and playwright, edited Rogers' autobiography 10 years after interviewing the actress and reviewing her one-woman show. She lived with Rogers for four months while editing it."They wanted to change it and it wasn't worth it," Hughes said at Worthy's Rancho Mirage home. "I felt I was the guardian of this property for Ginger and her mother. I had to guard it, and fame and money would not persuade me (otherwise)."

Hughes, a drama critic, author and playwright, edited Rogers' autobiography 10 years after interviewing the actress and reviewing her one-woman show. She lived with Rogers for four months while editing it.

Conceived while writing Reagan bio 

She conceived the idea for "Ginger & Me" in 2001, six years after Rogers' death in Rancho Mirage, while working on a biography of Ronald Reagan.

But its focus has changed over the years.

"I made 287 revisions and it is very different from what it was," Hughes said. "We tried all original songs and we tried old songs only. It just didn't work with the old songs because they were out on DVD."

Central to her fascination with Rogers was Ginger's mother, Lela Rogers, who was not only a drama coach, but a drama critic, a World War II Marine Corps newspaper editor and a screenwriter.

"Her mother was a renaissance woman," said Hughes. "She could tell a story better than anyone. When they were at a party, everyone gravitated to her."

Worthy, a Rancho Mirage-based actor and director, met Hughes in Cape Cod at one of Hughes' play readings. Hughes was seeking a composer for "Ginger & Me" and Worthy returned to Southern California to help her cousin, co-executive producer Don Thomas, search for one.

JJ Rodgers to play Ginger RogerWorthy had worked with La Quinta resident Marilee Warner at Playwrights' Circle, which Warner co-founded to develop new plays. They discussed presenting new plays at Cal State San Bernardino, Palm Desert, five years ago with the school's fundraiser, Betty Barker.

Worthy thought of Warner as Lela Rogers and Warner won the role.

Worthy found his "Ginger" when ginger-haired L.A. actress JJ Rodgers showed up at a Los Angeles audition.

"The moment I saw her in the hallway, I nearly fell over," said Worthy. "I had two or three in mind to play the part, but they weren't quite there. I walked out and saw her and, 'That's it.' "

Hughes' show tells the story of Rogers' life and conflicts with her mother by using paparazzi on stage to ask questions that provide exposition. Worthy also uses a seven-piece ensemble on stage to set the flavor of the era with Heath's original music.

Now, said Hughes, "We have it the way we want it."

Reprinted with permission of the author.
'Ginger & Me' dances its way to Indian Wells
Read another review of Libby's musical here.

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Libby, Ginger and Palm Springs

Starfair” Film Festival was a hot ticket

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today Theatre Critic

Stars were falling all over Palm Springs, California, during the first weekend in December. But they weren’t falling from the sky. Hundreds of famous movie stars of a bygone era descended on the desert city to appear at the modern, rust-red Convention Center in the heart of Palm Springs for the third annual Walk of Stars “Starfair.” Their purpose was to meet and greet fans and to sell their merchandise—autobiographies, CDs, and autographs on glossy black and white photographs.

Celebrity Press Conference
At the press conference to kick-off the film festival, a celebrity panel with Tab Hunter (“Damn Yankees”), poet/songwriter Rod McKuen, actress Anne Jeffreys, songwriter Carol Connors, singer/actor Herb Jeffries, cowboy Ty Hardin, Kathy Garver (“A Family Affair”), actress Lindsay Wagner, and movie star Rhonda Fleming brought the media out to ask questions for the 16th film festival. Fleming and Wagner spoke about their charities for women and children.

The Marine Color Guard opened “Starfair” with a flourish. MC Susan Stafford brought hordes of celebrities on stage. Anne Jeffreys led the singing of the national anthem.

Up and down the aisles were booths for all the celebs, dazzling residents and visitors, wandering about with stars in their eyes. Comedienne Kaye Ballard zipped in and out before her matinee at the “Palm Springs Follies,” an annual event in Palm Springs. Margaret O’Brien, Mamie Van Doren, John Saxon, Bernie Kopell ( The Love Boat), Ted Herman, lawyer Gloria Allred, actress Lee Merriwether, Ruta Lee, and a host of others delighted the star-gazers.

Ginger Rogers’ booth
One of the most popular booths was for Ginger Rogers, displaying her posters and costumes from many old films. The star’s personal clothing also was for sale. Rogers’ secretary, Roberta Olden, for 18 years was there manning the booth and answering questions. The booth was promoting the new American musical about Ginger Rogers, called “Ginger and Me” (book and lyrics by Libby Hughes; music by Gary W. Heath). T-shirts, coffee mugs, and flyers for the world premiere Feb, 1-24, 2008 in Palm Desert were creating buzz. In nearby booths were film actress Jane Russell, Lindsay Wagner, Robert Culp, and Della Reese. The actress, J.J. Rodgers from LA, who will be playing Ginger wowed the crowd as she swept in and wore one of Ginger’s silk and fur coats.

Carol Channing’s Foundation
As the festivities were winding down on Sunday, Carol Channing and her husband were interviewed about their newest project to keep the arts in colleges and schools. They travel around to universities in California, giving talks to inspire young people. Carol’s Foundation supports their cause.

A star for Rhonda Fleming
The closing ceremony on Sunday evening was to celebrate the dedication of a star for film actress Rhonda Fleming on the Walk of Stars. There were a dozen or more tables filled with family and friends who had paid $25,000 per table to support her foundation for homeless women and children in LA.

Then, the booths were empty and the applause was over. The stars went home, leaving the snow-capped mountains in the silence of a desert night.

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Hysterical farce ends Playhouse 2007 Season

                                    By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today Theatre Critic

If you thought last week's Corpse was deadly funny, Lend Me a Tenor is hysterically and doubly funny. Laughter rolled and rolled in helpless gasps. People all around this reviewer were shaking with uncontrollable guffaws. Don't wear a belt. It will split in two.

A near perfect season

And so, with a slight nip in the air, the joy of summer closes the curtain on the six show season at the Cape Playhouse in Dennis. This has been an almost perfect selection of musicals, thriller, comedies, and a farce by artistic director, Evans Haile. In my opinion, five of the six were winners.

Multi-talented playwright

Lend Me a Tenor has been around since 1986. Community theatres everywhere can always count on this farce to draw and delight the crowds. Playwright Ken Ludwig has three pages devoted to his accomplishments in the program. In fact, the D.C. resident started out as a Harvard Law School student, who went on to graduate from Trinity College at Cambridge University. After practicing law, he turned his talents to playwriting. Crazy for You is one of his award-winning shows, based on the famous 1930 Girl Crazy Broadway show that catapulted Ginger Rogers to stardom. Staging An American in Paris is a recent effort.

Farcical plot

A farce is soaked with mistaken identities and full of at least six doors in a set to confuse and produce endless hilarity. Lend Me a Tenor meets all the requirements. Set in 1934, the play revolves around a Cleveland Opera Organization that invites a famous Italian tenor to perform in the leading role of Othello, the opera. He arrives late, causing great consternation. The first act is pretty funny, but the second act spins at dizzying speed. My lips are sealed. You have to see it to believe it. If you've had a hard day, Tenor is guaranteed to be your bubbly champagne to intoxicate your funny bone.

Bouquets to director

Pamela Hunt has a definite gift for creating original stage business for comedies and farce. Last summer she gave us her technique in Sylvia (about a dog). Her curtain call was as well choreographed as the whole show--a clever recap of the whole show.

Eight incredible actors

This ensemble is well-matched. They play off of each other in perfect comedic harmony. When aspiring opera tenor, Max, (played by Hunter Foster) begins to warm up his voice, he holds the audience in the palm of his hand. Foster can actually sing, too. The super tall Steve Wilson gives the Italian tenor, Tito Merelli, an engaging accent, an enchanting seductive air, and a role he was careful not to overplay. Jeff Brooks as Saunders pulled up the pace with his first entrance. He may have prolonged a pause too much, but aside from that, he was both pompous and funny the way Ted Knight was in ":The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Even the bellhop, Michael Keyloun, held his own in the farcical gang.

The women also fit well into the farcical puzzle. Jennifer Cody's Maggie oozed adoration and innocent seduction as an opera fan for the tenor. Judith Blaze made a strong, however brief, impression as the forceful Italian wife, fed up with her husband's roving eye. Leah Hocking was slinky and hysterical as Diana, the tall blonde in the local opera company, who wants some praise from Tito. Virginia Seidel woos and wins us as Julia.

Set and costumes

Daniel Meeker's set has splendidly tall ceilings from the 1930s and thick moldings at the top. The chocolate and cream doors fit into the blue chiffon walls. The radio is a period piece as are the sconces. Costume designer Jose M. Rivera has captured the 1930s with double-breasted suits, argyle sweaters, bow ties, pleated trousers, and hints of post-flapper dresses.

Tenor is a delicious hoot. Don't miss it.

From Aug. 27 through Sept. 8. Monday through Saturday at 8:00pm. Matinees Wednesdays at 2:00pm; Sat. 9/1 at 4:00pm. Thursday 9/6 at 2:00pm. Cape Playhouse in Dennis. Call 508-385-3911.

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Frazzled Farce Delights at Playhouse

CORSPE! Delivers Deadly Thrills, Kills, and Chills
Fun with Farce at Cape Playhouse

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today's Theatre Critic

The summer light of August is winding down and so is the 81^st season of the Cape Playhouse in Dennis. Comedy thriller "CORPSE!" is number five of the six scheduled shows. Where did the time go? Even though a shower slowed down the patrons' arrival, they were there in full force on opening night.

Phantom playwright

British playwright Gerald Moon is something of a phantom. Except for "Corpse!" his plays are few and his biography is illusive-even on Google. He is as mysterious as his play. Maybe it's a pseudonym. We do know that his main profession was that of an actor. We do know that "Corpse!" opened at the Apollo Theatre in London, the place where his play was first produced in 1984. He may not be Agatha Christie or Alan Ayckborn or Moliere, but his play is highly entertaining. On right: (l to r) Brent Harris and Brad Bellamy. Photo by Kathleen Fahle.

Don't spoil the 1936 plot

The plot can be described only partially in order not to ruin the surprises--you'll be reeling in the second act. Suffice it to say that twin brothers are mired in sibling rivalry and revelry. One bro wants to destroy the other bro for mercenary reasons. Although the show started in a sluggish way, it was planting seeds for the audience to guess who was who and what was what. Once it was rolling, the fun and guesswork kept growing. However, the ending was so abrupt, the audience wasn't sure the show was over, and they obviously wanted more. The bodies kept appearing and disappearing--all part of the hilarity.

Let the set designer take a bow

Set designer, Richard Chambers, should take a bow. The two sets that revolve and change attest to his creative professionalism. Chambers sharply contrasts a Soho flat of exposed brick and stone with a swish townhouse, tailored for the upper-class in jolly old London.

Coup d'etat for playing twins

The biggest coup of the show is Brent Harris's acting prowess in playing a duo role as the twin brothers. Though the differences are subtle, they are distinctive. Brother Evelyn (a British male name pronounced EEEE-velyn) is a camp actor while twin Rupert is a suave, successful businessman. The bitterness they feel for each other comes across loud and clear. Most American actors have difficulty with an English accent because of the different inflection pattern. They can sound like they have molasses in their mouths. We saw Harris last summer in "The Beard of Avon" and his dialect skills are seasoned. Harris also chops and cooks on stage, which is an undeniable  achievement.

Problems with English accents

Sadly, Suzanna Hay (Mrs. McGee) and Michael Rossmy's Inspector Hawkins (to a lesser degree) were handicapped by the accent, making the audience struggle to understand her words. She lost a great deal of laughter for her lines because of it. In contrast, Brad Bellamy broadened his "a's" and gave a slight British flavor to the accent for Major Powell, making him easy to understand. His performance was fine-tuned, believable, and amusing throughout.

Amazing direction

Director Russell Treyz deserves enormous credit for clever stage business, surrounding disposal of bodies and hints of bodies--here, there, and everywhere. Some clues are obvious and some are not. He staged a fine, tantalizing farce for our amusement and delight. Lisa Zinni caught the British feeling in her costumes; particularly the policeman.

Thriller suggested by Cape patron

If it weren't for longtime Cape patron, John Carey--inventor of the Cape Cod bracelet, we wouldn't have a thriller this summer. He made the suggestion to artistic director Evans Haile, who followed his advice and voila--"Corpse!"

Race to the box office for this frothy, frazzled  farce August 13-25 Monday through Saturday at 8:00pm. Matinees: Wednesday at 2:00pm, Saturday 8/18 at 4:00pm, Thursday 8/23 at 2:00pm. The Cape Playhouse in Dennis on Route 6A. 508-385-3911.

Above photo: (l to r) Brent Harris and Brad Bellamy. Photo by Kathleen Fahle.

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New Revue buzzes in and out of 60s and 70s music at Cape Playhouse

"Beehive" Stings Dennis Audiences with Sixties Nostalgia
Revue buzzes in and out of 1960s music

                                    By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today Theatre Critic

The Cape Playhouse takes a bite out of the sixties with the musical revue, "Beehive." The show strikes a note of nostalgia for those into Rock n' Roll, teenyboppers, Beatle-mania, and Woodstock's hippie-flower power.

Two hit musicals straddle July and August

At the peak of the summer season, the Playhouse has wisely straddled July and August with two musicals-Thoroughly Modern Millie  and Beehive. The latter is a no-brainer. Six young women sing their hearts out through a beehive of 33 songs (getting the rights to all those ditties must have cost a pretty penny!) and entertain the socks off the audience on opening night. They had a standing ovation to prove it.

Created in 1985

A young man by the name  of Larry Gallagher created the show and premiered it in 1985 at the Sweetwater Cabaret in New York City before sending it on a national tour. Sadly, his death at the age of 41 was a great loss to the theatrical and musical world. Through dialogue and song, Gallagher gives a historical perspective of the 1960s with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War, the Beatles, and the rising freedom and power of women beginning at Woodstock.

Irony of  Vietnam and Iraq

The irony is that Americans are going through the same sort of agony with the Iraq War as they did over the Vietnam War where 57,000 American lives were sacrificed. The Iraq War is fast approaching 4,000 losses since March of 2003.

Music is the great liberator and comforter. What will be the music of the post-Iraq War?

Six girls have Broadway sounds

Every one of the six female singers has a Broadway sound for punching out a strong show-tune. But Laiona Michelle is the glue for the group. She lights up the stage and leads them from one song to the next, tying it all together. Her sultry, sexy, alto-mezzo voice has power-sensational power. Lindsey Gordon is cute, perky, and funny. Kearran Giovanni has stage charisma as well as vocal prowess. Bridget Beirne catches the flavor of the long-haired hippie girl, soaring high on pot and booze. Jennifer Zimmerman and Danielle Chambers are equally charming as rockers.

Familiar songs for Baby Boomers

Whether solo, duo, trio, quartet or a sextet, the girls were on pitch and in perfect harmony. You'll recognize all the songs such as "I'm Sorry," "You Don't Own Me," "Downtown," and "Where the Boys Are (A Connie Francis song)." The second half of the show is built musically around the emergence of the Women's Movement.

Fabulous Choreography

But it is to Mark Martino where much of the applause belongs. His direction and choreography are unmistakable. He gives those girls enough stage business and humor to keep the audience interested for two hours. They pump and chop the air with their arms or swing them in circles from the elbows or roll their fists in a rolling pin motion. Their legs are shaking and strutting every minute. And vocally, they go up and down the scale like roosters hooting or hiccupping--all part of the sixties scene and sound.

Superb, opulent costumes and phenomenal wigs

Along with Martino, kudos go to costume designer Jose Rivera whose psychedelic mini-skirts and tops in lime, peach, fuchsia, and pink are period colors along with rich sultry, sparkly blacks and bronzes. The  1960 beehive wigs are almost as "high as an elephant's eye!" Richard Chambers' set has the jukebox look, complemented by Christopher Chambers' stunning lighting.

Music packs a wallop

And the band never lets up under the direction of Tom Frey, who also plays the piano and synthesizer as well as singing and conducting his four guys onstage.

For a summer pleaser, "Beehive" is a good one. Performances run July 30 through August 11, Monday through Saturday at 8:00pm. Matinees Wednesday at 2:00pm, Saturday 8/4 at 4:00pm, Thursday 8/9 at 2:00pm. The Cape Playhouse is located on Route 6A in Dennis. Box office: 508-385-3911.

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An Audience Pleaser Musical

    ^{Above from left; First photo: Carolann M Sanita, Lindi Duesenberg, Andrew Rannells, Allison Couture, Lisa Maietta, Andrea Chamberlain, Second photo: Lindi Duesenberg, Lisa Maietta, Andrea Chamberlain, Tory Ross, Allison Couture.  Phtos by Kathleen A. Fahle.}

Snazzy Pizzazz for Musical "Millie" in Dennis
Flapper Smasher hits Homer for Summer Theatre

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today Theatre Critic

The Cape Playhouse has thrown its budget to the winds with the musical "Thoroughly Modern Millie." Hosting a cast of 23 and a live orchestra of seven, this show is costing a packet. But there will be no regrets. They will pack them in every night and every matinee. For the last two weeks in July, the audiences will give a standing ovation to this flapper smasher as they did on opening night.

Professional all the way

The reason they will flock to the theatre is partly for nostalgia-the show is set in 1922-- and mostly because every aspect of the show is professional from the sets to the costumes to the direction to the choreography to the acting, dancing, and singing. In other words, this is a theatrical package with snazzy pizzazz and polish--professional polish. Besides that, it is slick, sweet, and sexy.

Bravos for Evans Haile

And don't overlook artistic director Evans Haile. Since his starring role in "2 Pianos, 4 Hands" as the kick-off show, his star power has grown. When he gives his introduction before the curtain opens, the applause, cat calls, and bravos are for him and his talents.

From screen to stage

The show has had a strange, wandering path to the stage. "Thoroughly Modern Millie" started out in 1956 as a British musical, called "Chrysanthemum." In 1967, screenwriter Richard Morris produced an award-winning film (Thoroughly Modern Millie), starring Carol Channing and Julie Andrews. In 2000 it was rewritten for the stage, enlisting a different composer and lyricist-Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan (Scanlan also assisted Morris in writing the book). In 2002, the show hit Broadway to overwhelming success and closed two years later.

Boy Meets Girl plot

The plot has a faint resemblance to "42^nd Street" in that a sweet, naïve girl, Millie, arrives in New York City from Kansas with stars in her eyes. Only her eyes are set on finding a rich husband by landing a job as his stenographer. Her innocent, actress friend, Dorothy Brown, gets kidnapped into white slavery. Millie tries to save her. Both girls find true love.

Fabulous Women

Andrea Chamberlain gave her Millie plenty of gusto and humor, wrapped in sweet innocence.  Photo by Kathleen Fahle.Each one in the ensemble, big or small role, has star quality. Andrea Chamberlain gave her Millie plenty of gusto and humor, wrapped in sweet innocence. She sang "Forget the Boy" and "Gimme, Gimme" like a winner. Carolann Sanita (Dorothy Brown) has an incredible, almost operatic voice and a stunning stage presence. Cheryl Stern (Mrs. Meers) made a wonderful slimy, smarmy, Chinese lady pimp-head of the white slavery ring. Terry Burrell (Muzzy Van Hossmere) was as elegant, sexy, jazzy, and sensitive as the D.C. hostess, Perle Mesta, but of NYC. Tory Ross (Miss Flannery, Rita, Dorothy Parker) provided punchy humor to her characters.

Fantastic Men

Boyish and appealing Andrew Rannells (Jimmy Smith) was the perfect poor boy suitor to Millie. He wowed us in his songs "What Do I Need with Love" and "I Turned the Corner." Brian Sutherland gave a winning performance as Millie's boss, Trevor Graydon, head of the Sincere Trust Company. He, too, has a stunning voice, mimicking Nelson Eddy in "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life!" Billy Bustamante (Bun Foo) and Doan MacKenzie (Ching Ho) nearly stole the show with their Chinese Mandarin rendition to the song "Mammy," made famous by Al Jolson. Even the Cape Playhouse's own Jered Fournier (company manager) played his policeman to the fullest!

Sensational direction and choreography

All the male and female singers and dancers were sensational. Director Mark Martino and choreographer Denis Jones were largely responsible for this by their impeccable collaboration. It is a real miracle to get 14 or 20 dancers and singers on that small stage. Martino has done a brilliant job in the past, and he still has the master's touch. The "Speed Test" song was so clever with the secretaries tapping toes beneath their desks and nodding noses along the imaginary typewriter carriage. Some of the stage pieces verged on melodrama, but oh so subtly.

Jose Rivera also has outdone himself with the costumes that capture the flapper era. David Esler's scenic design has the stamp of professionalism with every shift of scene, complemented by Christopher Chambers' lighting..

Making Music

Last, but not least, is the music under the skilled direction of Phil Reno and William Johnson. The flapper sound was ever-present and unflagging.

Bravo, guys and gals.

Stampede for tickets

Sign up fast for "Thoroughly Modern Millie." There will be a stampede to the box office.

By the way, Allan Neal in the audience has attended every opening night since 1927 or thereabouts!!

Performances run from July 16-28. Mondays through Saturdays at 8:00pm. Matinees Wednesday July 18 & 25 at 2:00pm, Thursday July 26 at 2:00, and Saturday July 21 at 4:00pm. Call 508-385-3911. Playhouse is located on Route 6A in Dennis.

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Hilarious, but flawed gay comedy

Gay Drawing Room Comedy: a Mediocre Hoot
"Regrets Only" at Cape Playhouse draws the laughs

By Libby Hughes, Cape Cod Today Theatre Critic

The opening night audience at the Cape Playhouse in Dennis was ready to laugh. The laughter came in crashing waves after clever and slick lines from "Regrets Only." But was it warranted? The play is a 21^st century attempt at outwitting Noel Coward's 20^th century style. The show makes its first debut outside the theatrical confines of the Great White Way in this famous of all summer theatres on Cape Cod.

Flawed but funny play

There is no doubt that contemporary playwright Paul Rudnick is multi-talented in all sorts of mediums, including stage, screen, and magazine/newspaper writing. He is a glitzy and gabby writer and has won many awards. His latest creation is this drawing room comedy, "Regrets Only," that had its first performances at the Manhattan Theatre Club in NYC in 2006.

On the right are Harry Groener, Dee Hoty and Joel Higgins. Photos by Kathleen A. Fahle

For this reviewer, the play is flawed and uneven with too many ups and downs. Although clever on the gay issues, it verges on being preachy. Some cutting and tightening might help it. The characters are two-dimensional despite many uproarious moments. However, the audience didn't seem to care and only a few departed at intermission.

Gay plot and issues

The plot centers around a famous, gay fashion designer who has lost his longtime partner, a respected surgeon. He seeks solace in the household of a prominent heterosexual couple. The husband is a lawyer and the wife, a socialite, and his best friend. The couple's daughter becomes engaged and the focus is on her upcoming wedding. The mother is a wimp and the father caught in a bind when the President asks him to help write a constitutional amendment, regarding gay marriage. The second act has some surprises not to be revealed in this review.

Maid and mother-in-law steal the show

Rudnick has written the best parts for the maid and the mother-in-law. They absolutely steal the showRudnick has written the best parts for the maid and the mother-in-law. They absolutely steal the show. Kathel Carlson's lively portrayal of Myra Kesselman, the maid, is outrageously funny in her many silly hats and accents. At times, though, she was too broad and shrill. Nevertheless, she was the salvation to the otherwise bland characters. Dawn Didawick was equally wacky and humorous as the dimwitted mother-in-law, Marietta Claypoole. They were both delicious characters. Costume designer Gail Baldoni gave them marvelous outfits to accentuate the humor-even a garbage bag dress for the mother-in-law-and then a more elegant outfit for the grandmother of the bride.

Groener wins kudos

Dee Hoty did the best she could with the wimpy character of the mother who is a sort of middle-aged Paris HiltonOne of the best performances came from seasoned actor Harry Groener in the role of the gay fashion designer (Hank Hadley). He was understated, believable, and comfortable on stage. Joel Higgins as the rich lawyer (Jack McCullough) and father of the bride was also a credible character. Higgins and Groener have a well-crafter piece of choreography to the "Blue Danube Waltz." By the way, Groener and Dawn Didawick are husband and wife in real life.

Two-dimensional female roles

Dee Hoty did the best she could with the wimpy character of the mother (Tibby McCullough), who is a sort of middle-aged Paris Hilton--nothing to rave about and not the actress's fault. Eden Riegel was also at the mercy of a stereotypical ingenue. For a young woman who was supposed to be a lawyer, the writing made her look like an airhead. Again, it wasn't her fault.

Christopher Chambers has some interesting pieces of lighting throughout the show.

For a mindless piece of summer stock humor, "Regrets Only" might fill the bill.

Performances for "Regrets Only" are July 2 through July 14, Monday through Saturday at 8:00pm. Matinees are Wednesday at 2:00 pm and Saturday 7/6 at 4:00pm at the Cape Playhouse on Rte 6A in Dennis. 508-385-3911.

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FANTASTICKS: Overdone with a Few Magic Moments

Disappointing Performance of a show icon at Orleans Academy Playhouse
Show runs through July 14 and the orchestra nearly saves it

                                   By Libby Hughes, capecodtoday theatre critic

The Academy Playhouse in Orleans tackles The Fantasticks musical that ran from 1960 to 2002 off  Broadway in 17,162 performances and wrung the hearts of thousands-possibly millions in New York City, community theatres, and schools across the nation. 

In right are cast members Peter Milsky, Kevin Quill, Becky Gosselin, and Peter Earle.  Photo by Robert Tucker/Focalpoint Studio.

It had an off Broadway revival in 2006. Even though the Orleans show has been underway for two weeks at the Playhouse, their attempt falls short of expectations from a reviewer who has stood in awe of many of their past productions.

Timeless Romeo and Juliet clone

The story is timeless. The plot is a Romeo and Juliet spin-off. Two neighboring families want to match-make their children. The fathers pretend to discourage the relationship in hopes the girl and boy will rebel and eventually become a couple. Their plans backfire.

The play is not dated. It stands the test of time, but unfortunately this production is overdone, bordering on broad slapstickThe girl falls for a con-man and the boy goes to see the world. He is corrupted and abused by gypsies. When the Prodigal boy returns home, he finds his love is rekindled.

Harvey Schmidt composed the music and Tom Jones wrote the book and lyrics. The allegory came from a play called "The Romancers" by Edmond Rostand. Songs such as "Try to Remember" and "They Were You" are hauntingly memorable.

Lack of pacing at fault

The play is not dated. It stands the test of time, but unfortunately this production is overdone, bordering on broad slapstick. The first act was full of peaks and valleys. The rhythm and pacing were lost. Not until Kevin Quill arrived on stage as the young boy, Matt, did the pace pull up for a few magic moments. The duets and harmonies between the two fathers, Peter Earle and Peter Milsky, also lifted the show out of the doldrums. The summer heat and zero A/C  may have compounded the problem.

Second act came to life

There is no doubt that Kevin Quill has a talented futureThe second act was a great improvement. The actors began topping lines and projecting. There is no doubt that Kevin Quill has a talented future. His acting is natural, convincing, and his tenor voice has an operatic flavor to it. His energy level dropped somewhat in places in act two. But even when he sang in almost a whisper, his diction was clear. Although Rick Smith looked devilishly handsome as the debonair El Gallo, his roguish ways lacked variety and credibility. Many times his singing voice was too soft. He has a fine voice-let's hear it! Christopher Thomas in the small role of Mortimer had a pirate's glint in his eye.

Rebecca Banas Gosselin as Louisa, the young girl, improved in act two. The three mutes, Emily Rice, Mary Elizabeth Trull, and Judy Guyon were consistently good as the mimes.

Perhaps much of the credit belongs to the three piece orchestra: Chris Morris on piano; Katie Lynch-Koglin on harp; and Dick Stocks on guitar.

The Fantasticks runs through July 14 at the Academy Playhouse on Main St. in Orleans at 8:00pm Tuesday through Saturday. Call 508-255-1963.

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