[NEohioPAL]Berko Review: Anything Goes (Carousel); Nunsense, A-Men preview

[Roy Berko]

‘ANYTHING GOES’ SAILS MERRILY INTO CAROUSEL DINNER
THEATRE

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times

If your illusion of a dinner theatre is an old
clapboard building, greasy food in steamer trays and a
poorly produced musical, then you haven’t been to the
Carousel under new Artistic Director Sean Cercone. 
Cercone has many fine plans for the theatre, and many
have already been put into effect.
	
The theatre itself looks like a sumptuous Las Vegas
show room.  Beautifully decorated in red, with linen
coverings and candles on every table, the tiers of
tables and booths allow for good stage sight lines. 
The servers are young, polite and cooperative.  In
fact, we were so delighted with Chris Hendricks, our
waitperson, that we changed her title in the program
from Assistant Head Front Server to CHIEF Head Server.
 
	
The menu has 9 appetizers, 18 entrees and 10 desserts
and a full offering of wines, alcoholic and
nonalcoholic drinks.  Favorable comments were
overheard about the quality of the food.
	
And, now to the show, itself.  ‘ANYTHING GOES’ is a
classic 1930s musical.  The story is silly and
predictable and the music doesn’t always fit into the
plot.  You will never mix this up this with ‘CHORUS
LINE,’ ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ or ‘WEST SIDE STORY.’ 
But, who cares. If you are in the right mood for farce
and good dancing and ready to hear clever and
wonderful lyrics to songs, you’ll probably go out
singing, “I Get a Kick Out of You.” And, as one of the
songs states, it is “Easy to Love.”  The music and
lyrics are by the wonderfully gifted Cole Porter and
includes “All Through the Night,” “It’s DeLovely,” and
“Goodbye Little Dream.”
	
The Carousel production has three strong elements
going for it.  First and foremost, Kirsti Carnahan,
playing Reno, is the consummate Broadway star.  She is
beautiful, is a powerful singer, sparkles in every
scene she is in, and has a wonderful sense of comic
timing.  If you go see the show for no other reason
than to see Carnahan, it’s worth the price of
admission.  
	
Second, Rob Donohoe is a delight as Moonface Martin,
Public Enemy #12.  “Friendship” a duet by Donohoe and
Carnahan was absolutely delightful.   
	
And, Janiece Kelley-Kiteley’s choreography sparkles. 
The tap routines in “Anything Goes” and the show
stopping “Blow, Gabriel Blow” are gems. 
	
The plot, if that’s what you’d like to call it,
centers on the premise that boy falls in love with
girl, girl’s mother arranges for a marriage to an
older man on a cruise ship, boy stows away on the
ship, boy wins girl after many twists and turns in the
story.
	
Director Victoria Bussert has added just the right
level of farce to the staging to insure that the
laughs are present and the production moves right
along.  Her only stumble was the casting of Dominic
Roberts as the show’s hero Billy Crocker.  Roberts
failed to develop a believable character,  flatted in
many of his songs and lacked the polish to  appear
opposite the likes of Carnahan and Donohoe.  Others in
the cast, however, are quite good.  Jenn Goodson, a
Marilyn Monroe look alike, sings and dances up a storm
in “Buddy, Beware.”  Brian Ogilivie is a standout
dancer and Katherine Wilfong has a nice singing voice
as does Marc Moritz.
	
The musical sounds and the technical aspects of the
show were excellent. 

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  If ‘ANYTHING GOES’ is any
indication of what’s to come, going to Carousel Dinner
Theatre will give you a complete  entertainment
package...good food, in a wonderful setting, with an
above average production.   The theatre’s next
production will be ‘CATS’ starting September 1st.  For
ticket information and a brochure of the upcoming
season, call 330-724-9855 or 800 362-4100.

AIDS TASK FORCE BENEFIT

‘NUNSENSE, A-MEN,’ a musical comedy by Dan Goggin,
directed by Curt Arnold with musical direction by
Charles Eversole, will be presented for one night only
as a benefit for the AIDS Taskforce on August 30 at
8:00 pm at The Beck Center in Lakewood.  For tickets
call 216-521-2540.


=====
Roy Berko's web page can be found at royberko.info and many of his theatre and dance reviews appear on artscleveland.net.


		
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