[NEohioPAL]Berko review: BABY (Kalliope)

[Roy Berko]

KALLIOPE DELIVERS A FINE ‘BABY’!

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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

Lyricist-librettist Richard Maltby and composer David
Shire's musical ‘BABY,’ which opened in New York in
1983 and ran for 276 performances, is considered by
many theatre buffs to be one of the most underrated
concept musicals ever written.  It is now being
performed at Kallliope Stage.

This is a musical not about babies but about the
life-altering challenges of having a baby.  It takes
place at an unnamed American college, where three
couples face pregnancies.  They are a pair of
unmarried juniors, a set of married 20 something
athletic coaches, and a 40-something couple that has
just sent their kids off to college.  We follow them
through nine months that lead to lots of laughs, some
truthful awareness and some eye-welling moments. 

I wouldn’t go so far as a reviewer who stated that
“‘BABY’ is a masterpiece and Sybille Pearson's book is
one of the strongest original libretti ever written
for Broadway,” but  I would say that when I first saw
the musical at Berea Summer Theatre many years ago, I
was enthralled.  I wouldn’t classify this with ‘WEST
SIDE STORY’ or ‘CHORUS LINE,’ but it has so much
charm, pathos and wonderful songs, that it holds its
own against many musicals.

So, why is ‘BABY’ underrated?   The Broadway show,
which opened on December 4, 1983, probably suffered
from an accident of timing.  Debuting in the same
season as ‘SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE,’ ‘THE RINK’
and ‘LA CAGE AUX FOLLES,’ it was never able to win the
attention -- or the Tonys -- it deserved.  This, in
spite of excellent reviews.

Another reason is that this is a small theatre
musical.  Kalliope Stage is a perfect venue for the
show.  It, like intimate musicals such as ‘I DO, I DO’
and “THEY’RE PLAYING OUR SONG,’ need the audience to
be up-close so the ideas speak directly to the
audience.  The Broadway house in which it played was
anything but intimate.

The Kalliope production is adeptly directed by Paul F.
Gurgol.  He has perfectly paced the show, creatively
staged it, and gets wonderful performances out of his
talented cast.

Andrew Smith and Carrie Hall play the college
students.  Smith is an all around performer.  He
develops a clear character, sings well, has a fine
sense of timing and dances with ease.  This is a very
talented young man.  Hall has a big and well-pitched
voice.  She lacks the physical looks probably needed
for the role, but makes up for it with her singing. 
The duo’s “What Could Be Better” was cute and well
sung.  There did, however, appear to be a lack of
emotional connection between them throughout the
show...kisses weren’t real, the handholding was
tentative, there was a lack of direct connection when
they spoke and sang.  

Scott Posey (Nick) and Kris Comer (Pam) were right on
as the athletic coaches who have trouble conceiving. 
They both have strong singing voices and keen acting
talent.  Their “With You” was so tender that there was
an emotional pause on the part of the audience
following it’s conclusion followed by appreciative
applause.

The always engaging Adina Bloom (Arlene) and the
excellent John Jensen (Alan) were surperb as the older
couple faced with the decision of whether they wanted
to start their lives all over as “older” new parents. 
Their voices soared and their scene development was
perfectly keyed.  They played off each other as the
performance pros they are.  Their version of “And What
If We Had Loved Like That” was an emotional
show-stopper.

Kimberly Koljat and Rita Linger added their fine vocal
talents in supporting roles.

Show highlights included the trio of Hall, Comer and
Bloom belting out “I Want It All” and the male quartet
of Smith, Posey,  Jensen and John Paul Boukis
presenting a cleverly staged “Fatherhood Blues.” 
Another show highlight was a very funny scene in which
Boukis, portraying a doctor with new contact lenses,
explains why one of the couples was having difficulty
conceiving.  Normally this wouldn’t be perceived as a
funny scene, but Boukis took the concept and worked it
to perfection. 

The only flaw in the show was the poor costume
choices.  The play takes place in 1983, but many of
the costumes were inappropriate for the era and often
were ill-fitting.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  If you don't know the musical
‘BABY,’ it is high time you made its acquaintance.  If
you’ve seen it before, you won’t see a better
production than that at Kalliope Stage!
	
‘BABY’  runs through July 31 at 2134 Lee Road in
Cleveland Heights.  For tickets call 216-321-0870 or
go on line to www.KalliopeStage.com.
	
Kalliope Stage has announced its 2005-2006 season. 
Shows include ‘CABARET,’ ‘OPAL,’ ‘COMING TO AMERICA,’
‘110 IN THE SHADE’ and ‘A TO Z.’  Call the theatre for
a brochure or to reserve season tickets.



Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.

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