Reviewed by Judy Richter
Take a basic plot of melodrama:
Sneering landlord, the villain, wants the rent. Fair maiden, the heroine, can't
pay the rent and consults with an older, wiser woman. Handsome man says he'll
pay the rent. Fair maiden calls him her hero. Sneering landlord slinks off. The
end.
After
showing it as a silent film (by Jeffrey Draper), tell the story five times,
each in the style of a legendary composer or team. What do you have? You have
"The Musical of Musicals (The Musical)," a hilarious, clever parody
being presented by Center REPertory Company. Created by composer Eric
Rockwell and
lyricist Joanne Bogart, with a book by both, the show is a musical theater lover's feast,
serving up music and lyrics in the style of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and John Kander and Fred Ebb. It's loaded with puns and
allusions -- music, lyrics, sets and choreography -- to each of the five's best
known works.
Even
someone well versed in musical theater will be hard-pressed to catch everything
on the first sitting, for some of the references are quick and subtle. On the
other hand, some of the puns are real groaners. For example, in the first
scene, featuring Rodgers & Hammerstein, after the hero says OK to the
heroine, she responds, "Don't throw OKs at me."
Besides
the material itself, Center REP's production owes much of its success to
director-choreographer Mindy Cooper; musical director Brandon Adams, who does double duty as onstage
pianist and occasional singer; and the talented cast of four: Quinn Van
Antwerp, the
hero; Dani Marcus,
the heroine; Milissa Carey, the older woman; and Mark Farrell, the villain. All four display
their versatility throughout the show, singing, dancing and acting with
terrific comic timing.
Scenic
designer Robert Broadfoot keeps things simple, yet the visual allusions abound. In
the opening scene, "Corn," the Rodgers & Hammerstein segment, a windmill
and cornstalks are silhouetted against a rosy sunrise (lighting by Kurt
Landisman) --
reminiscent of the opening scene of "Oklahoma!". Cassandra Carpenter's costumes also take their cues
from the original musicals. The sound is by Jeff Mockus.
In
that opening scene, the hero, Big Willy, sings "Oh, What Beautiful Corn," and mentions his joy at
living in Kansas in August (as in "I'm as corny as Kansas in August,"
the opening line of "I'm in Love With a Wonderful Guy" in "South Pacific"). It goes on from there,
with sprinklings of "Carousel," "The King and I," and "The Sound of
Music." The
older woman, Mother Abby, sings an inspirational song to the distraught
heroine, June, that's a pastiche of R&H's inspirational songs: "Climb
Every Mountain"
and "You'll Never Walk Alone."
The
Sondheim scene, "A Little Complex," draws its main inspiration from "Sweeney
Todd," with
dollops of "Into the Woods," plus sprinklings of "Merrily We Roll
Along,"
"Company,"
"A Little Night Music," "Follies," "Sunday in the
Park With George,"
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "Pacific
Overtures."
Much of it is brilliant, just like much of Sondheim's work.
"Dear
Abby," the third scene, draws from Herman, mostly "Mame,"
"Hello Dolly," and "La Cage Aux Folles." The villain, Mr.
Jitters, shows up in drag, complete with a Carol Channing wig.
After
intermission, in "Aspects of Junita," Webber comes in for some ribbing for
borrowing or repeating tunes and for creating spectacles such as "Evita" and "Phantom of
the Opera,"
the shows most heavily parodied. Also on the agenda are "Aspects of
Love,"
"Starlight Express," "Sunset Boulevard," "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Joseph and
the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
Completing
the show, there's "Speakeasy," the Kander & Ebb segment with the primary
allusions to "Cabaret" and "Chicago" along with bits of "Kiss
of the Spider Woman"
and "Liza With a Z." Cooper's choreography effectively uses some signature moves
from Bob Fosse.
As
a finale, the four performers honor the groundbreaking "A Chorus Line" (music by Marvin
Hamlisch,
direction and choreography by Michael Bennett) with riffs from the opening
scene, the performers' mug shots and the final scene, here called "Done."
Of
the five scenes, the Herman one is the weakest, perhaps because there was less
material to draw from. The others were stronger, undoubtedly because of the
richness of the material, especially Sondheim and Webber.
No
wonder that even on opening night, Center REP announced a one-week extension.
This show is a hit, worth seeing more than once to enhance the pleasure and
catch more of what might have been missed the first time.
For More Information
Return to Home Page