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Babes in Arms
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Joey McIntyre and Company
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By Terri Roberts
Think of that iconic showbiz setup — “Hey, kids! Let’s put on a show!”
— and one tends to think of bright-eyed Mickey and Judy in all their tender
glory years. But the 1939 Rooney/Garland film version of this frothy 1936
Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart show retained little more than the original title
and the above mentioned setup. Only one complete number, "Where or When,"
survived the retooling of their original brilliant Broadway score. (One other was
melted down into underscoring, and the rest were discarded.) The misfortune
of this move, a result of the revamping of the book, was the film’s loss of a
jaw-dropping list of now familiar and much beloved standards, including "My
Funny Valentine," "The Lady is a Tramp," "I Wish I Were in Love Again," and "Johnny
One Note."
There have been revisions to the book over the years, and the version
offered by Reprise! in their current exuberant production of Babes in Arms was
penned by George Oppenheimer in 1959. While still lighthearted in tone and
lightweight in its writing (motivation and character development were not yet the
order of the day), it also kept the optimistic nothing-can-stop-us spirit
flowing from its youthful group of high schoolers eager to put up a musical revue.
Director Glenn Casale wisely maintains a sprightly pace to help keep the
focus on musical numbers (lively choreography by Dan Mojica), and away from such
quandaries as the suddenly shifting sands of romance.
Solid musical support is provided by ever-reliable conductor Gerald Sternbach
and a terrific 15-piece orchestra set up in the loft of scenic designer Evan
A. Bartoletti’s rambling, all-purpose barn. Other locations are largely
identified by vaudeville-like showcards placed on an easel, assisted by the
occasional set piece.
As composer-wannabe Valentine White, Joey McIntyre offers an appealing
easy charm and wholesomeness, but is vocally out of his league in comparison to
female dynamos Beth Malone, Bets Malone, and Jodi Benson, who unapologetically
blow everyone else out of the water. McIntyre’s numbers with love interest
Jennifer Owen (Jenna Leigh Green), a movie star actress with a pushy stage
mother (Ruta Lee, who is hopefully more confident with her lines by now), are
certainly agreeable enough. And Jeffrey Schecter certainly earns
high praise for his Gus, a class clown-type whose frequent squabblings with Terry
(Beth Malone) provide much of Babes’ straightforward comedy. Their
bouncy duet, "I Wish I Were in Love Again," is an absolute whipped cream delight!
But, ultimately, what ends up stealing the show is the goofball charm and
high-voltage smile of Beth; the spunky spirit of Bets Malone, whose Susie pines
away for McIntyre’s Val in a powerful "My Funny Valentine;" and the knock-em-dead
muscle of the bubbly Benson, whose rousing rendition of "Johnny One Note" simply
leaves the audience cheering.
Reprise! Broadway’s Best at the UCLA Freud Playhouse, Los Angeles (310)
825-2101. Tues. - Fri. at 8 p.m.; Sat. at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sun. at 2 p.m. and 7
p.m. $55 - $65. Closes September 21.
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