|
|
Rare Sondheim Finely Done
|
Williamson w/Willick, Hart, Denmark
|
By Rob Stevens
*Critic's Pick*
Stephen Sondheim is universally recognized as the greatest Broadway
composer of the
second half of the 20th century. And he's still going strong, his latest
Bounce is set to
premiere in Chicago this summer. Since he burst on the theater scene in 1957 as
the lyricist for
West Side Story, he's had few bad bumps in his career. One came in 1964
with the
second show for which he wrote both music and lyrics, Anyone Can
Whistle. Written and
directed by Arthur Laurents, the show, which starred Angela Lansbury, Lee
Remick and Harry
Guardino, managed a scant nine performances on Broadway. Considered ahead of
its time then, it
has seldom been revived. Los Angeles first had a production of it in 1986,
directed by Glenn
Casale and starring B.J. Ward and Ann Morrison. Like most Sondheim shows
produced in L.A.'s
small theaters, it had a very lengthy and successful run. Now another creative
team has taken up
the banner for Whistle and with the blessings of Laurents and Sondheim,
made a few
revisions.
Having seen the 1986 production, the revisions don't add or detract
much from the
original. However, it does seem to zip along at a faster pace under Michael
Michetti's inspired
direction. Laurents' book, dealing with the issue of individuality vs.
conformity against the
backdrop of McCarthyism and "naming names" may have been ahead of its time in
1964, but now
just seems dated. Fortunately, Sondheim's score is glorious and Michetti has
gathered a strong
cast of singer/actors to perform it. The plot involves the Mayoress (the
animated Ruth
Williamson) of a bankrupt town and her double-dealing cronies (the marvelous
comic trio of Joe
Hart, Ira Denmark and Jay Willick--the Three Stooges couldn't have played the
slapstick better)
who concoct a phony miracle to make a profit. The iron-willed Nurse Apple (the
lovely Misty
Cotton) brings 49 of her patients from the nearby Cookie Factory AKA the
psychiatric hospital to
take the cure. Pandemonium ensues as the "cookies" intermingle with the "sane"
townsfolk. A
new arrival, Dr. Hapgood (the solid and appealing John Bisom) is asked to
remedy the situation
but becomes romantically involved in a tug of war by both the Mayoress and
Nurse Apple, now in
the disguise as a Frenchwoman from Lourdes. Got it? Good!
Sondheim has set all this madness to a magnificent and varied score
that gets a good
hearing thanks to musical director Darryl Archibald and his band of musicians.
There are stirring
anthems "There Won't be Trumpets" and "A Parade in Town" as well as plaintive
ballads. Cotton
gets the fun, frothy, fizzy, and French "Come Play Wiz Me," as well as the
standard "Anyone Can
Whistle." She does great with both of them. She and Bisom team up for the
touchingly heartfelt
"With So Little to Be Sure Of" while Williamson and her "stooges" add hilarity
with "I've Got
You to Lean On." Williamson displays comic flair while Cotton glimmers
throughout the
evening. The chorus does a lovely job doubling up as townspeople and asylum
inmates. Larry
Sousa's choreography, especially the lengthy "The Cookie Chase" is another
highlight. Evan
Bartoletti's whimsical scenic design, A. Jeffrey Schoenberg's colorful costumes
add the
appropriate touches as needed. Sondheim aficionado or Sondheim novice, you should add
this wonderful
production of Anyone Can Whistle to your theater going experiences.
Anyone Can Whistle, produced by Carole Black in association with Richard B.
Warsk at the
Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood. (818) 788-5659. $33-38.
Thur-Sat, 8;
Sun, 2. Closes April 13.
|
|
|
|
