'Town' revival: It's a heckuva musical
Leonard Bernstein's score still revs up the joyous show in which three sailors on leave romance three women.
By Steven Oxman
Sailors on leave probably never did leap off ships eagerly, singing and dancing Leonard Bernstein songs, but that sure comes off as expressing the mood of the time in "On the Town," the 1944 musical now being pleasantly revived by REPRISE! at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. In contrast to these current days of doubt and division, this show plunges us into a past where the future looked grand enough to sing and dance about. The war will soon be over. The country is united and optimistic. New York City is indeed a "helluva town," with a sense of itself as the center of the dawning modern era. And the American musical theater is in the midst of its Golden Age, popular enough to draw in the likes of Bernstein, who delivered a brash, brassy and richly melodic score.
"On the Town" remains famous for its firsts: Bernstein's first stage score, Betty Comden and Adolph Green's first book and lyrics, Jerome Robbins' first Broadway choreography. In 1949, it would also become the first MGM film shot partly on location. The film, starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, has definitely overshadowed the stage show. It's a shame, because the movie took a lot of liberties, including cutting several terrific songs. For a famous score, one that boasts the ever-hummable "New York, New York" among its gems, there's a surprising amount to rediscover by going back to the original.
The REPRISE! production, directed by Dan Mojica with musical direction by Gerald Sternbach, is impeccably sung by an enthusiastic cast. From the opening moments, as the three leading men Ozzy (David Brouwer), Chip (Jeffrey Schecter) and Gabey (David Elder) harmonize "New York, New York" in between leaps and twirls, we know we're in capable hands, especially vocally.
It only gets better as the leading ladies arrive, each of whom can hoof as well as sing.
The show is stingy on story, which involves little more than the adventures of three small-town boys in New York for only 24 hours, seeking dates and pairing up with a trio of modern gals. Bets Malone, delivers just the right sassiness for Hildy Esterhazy, a taxi driver who describes herself as free, young and "highly attainable." Her numbers with the likable Schecter — "Come Up to My Place" and "I Can Cook Too" — swell with the cheeky confidence of a woman who's not afraid to lead. Tami Tappan Damiano provides nicely restrained zaniness as Claire de Loone, an anthropologist who is engaged but can't keep her hands off Ozzy, which leads to the energetic duet, "Carried Away.” Finally, there's Ivy Smith (Kate Levering), an aspiring actress who has just been named the monthly subway poster-girl, "Miss Turnstiles." Gabey, whose war-hero earnestness is well-captured by Elder, spends the day finding, losing and finding her again, and his intermittent reveries provide the opportunity for balletic dream sequences.
At first, Lee Martino's choreography comes off as too whirly and predictable, but it gets more muscular and creative as the show goes on. Nothing inspiring, but satisfying — certainly more than expected given the scaled-down nature of REPRISE! productions. The set doesn't fair so well, though: Other than some creative design work for the subway and taxi scenes, it consists of projections and three cartoonish and unattractive cardboard buildings in the background.
Though the production is unimaginative, it is effective. And it's ultimately best at the periphery. Star turns here come from Harriet Harris as Ivy's ever-soused singing teacher, and Larry Cedar as Claire's overly understanding fiancé
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The ultimate star turn, though, is Bernstein's music.
On The Town is a great big helping of theatrical cotton candy. It’s sweet, it’s fluffy, it’s light, and it has absolutely no pretense of being good for you.
Even if you’ve been living under a rock for the last sixty years or so, you still probably have some vague familiarity with this tale of three sailors on leave for one day in “New York, New York” - and the energetic dance number that goes along with that famous song. In REPRISE!’s production, the number doesn’t quite burst off the stage like you might hope it would. It’s got a lot of people in it, and a good deal of impressive steps (even more impressive given REPRISE!’s limited rehearsal time), but it just doesn’t explode with the excitement of the city.
There’s a helluva lot of dancing in On The Town - so much so that you may wonder what REPRISE! was thinking in taking on such a dance-heavy musical. Turns out, they knew what they were doing. Choreographer Lee Martino and her ensemble of dancers deliver the goods. From the “Presentation of Miss Turnstiles,” in which our beauty queen moves from partner to partner and style to style; to “Lonely Town,” in which a man laments being alone while graceful couples dance sensually around him, lost in their own worlds; to the first act closer, “Times Square Ballet” - there is some solidly entertaining dancing going on here. There are the occasional misses in synchronization, and the female ensemble is somewhat weaker than the male ensemble - but all things considered, this is without a doubt the most challenging show from a dance perspective that REPRISE! has ever attempted and it leaves you with a smile on your face, shaking your head in wonderment at how they managed to accomplish it all.
The other place where On The Town triumphs is in its comedy. While one sailor is off seeking true love, his two buddies find themselves companions of a less permanent nature. Chip (Jeffrey Schecter), the likeable fellow who wants to cram a week’s worth of sightseeing into one day, finds himself the object of a female cabbie’s affection. Bets Malone is perfectly adorable as the taxi driver with a one-track mind, the role originated by Nancy Walker. You can hear a little Nancy Walker in Malone’s sly delivery, but she also puts her own comic stamp on the material.
The other comic couple is sailor Ozzie and the anthropologist he picks up at the Museum of Natural History, Claire de Loone. David Brouwer sometimes seems a little too aware that he’s playing a comedic sidekick, and some of his jokes fall flat. Tami Tappan Damiano is the woman who meets him while working on her study, “Modern Man - What Is It?” But when Ozzie finds the right question to ask, Claire’s staid scientist persona falls away, revealing her to be a flighty, kooky, fun-loving gal. When Ozzie and Claire sing about the joys of getting “Carried Away,” Brouwer and Damiano gleefully go over-the-top with it, making it a comic gem.
On The Town is also chock-full of comic bit parts, and REPRISE! has assembled a top-notch cast for them. Heading the list is Harriet Harris as the well-pickled voice teacher Madam Dilly, who keeps hopeless students around because their lesson fees keep her in booze. REPRISE! regular Larry Cedar is delightful as Claire’s doormat of a fiance. Jody Ashworth gets laughs in a handful of character parts. Alissa-Nicole Koblentz also scores as the same lounge singer in a couple of different clubs.
The one place where On The Town fizzles is in its lead romance between sailor Gabey and “Miss Turnstiles,” Ivy Smith. While Gabey is originally attracted to Ivy’s poster, it’s love at first sight once he actually meets her. Although Gabey and Ivy are considered the show’s leads (they have the final bow), their plotline is fairly underdeveloped and - with all the riotous comedy and entertaining dancing going on around them - they seem rather more like “romantic relief” than the main characters. David Elder has an earnest “song and dance man” voice, and a nice grace to his dancing, but he doesn’t give Gabey a particularly captivating personality. Kate Levering has a bit more luck with Ivy, clearly distinguishing between the idealized Ivy (who appears in dream sequences) and the real girl. But Levering and Elder have no chemistry together - it feels like they’re just going through the motions rather than falling in love - and their ultimate reunion is more of a parenthetical phrase than an exclamation point on an otherwise delightful show.