[NEohioPAL]Berko review: PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES (Carousel Theatre)

[Roy Berko]

Tepid ‘PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES’ at Carousel

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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

--COOL CLEVELAND.COM--

Sean Cercone, the Artistic Director of Carousel Dinner
Theatre, and director of the venue’s present
production, ‘PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES,’ states in the
program that on one-hand, PBD is a “fun musical revue
about a group of mechanics and waitresses with
wonderful music abilities.”  He also states that
others will see the show as “a high energy concert
with a variety of musical styles.”   

To be honest, I don’t like the script because of its
attempt to make a story out of songs that really don’t
fit cohesively together.  So, I think the best way to
review the production is to examine it using Cercone’s
explanations.  

“With wonderful music abilities.”  Yes, yes, yes, the
Carousel cast play instruments with talent and zeal. 
On the other hand, the singing was not of the same
quality.  Many of the vocal blends were off and
several songs were misinterpreted.

“Fun.”  The Carousel production is short on the fun
aspect.  The pace is too slow.  The jokes often don’t
work.  Attempts to engage the audience generally
failed.  Part of this is due to the size of the
theatre, which discourages interaction unless the cast
roams the aisles.  In addition, Canton’s Pat
McRoberts, who was so brilliant in Carousel’s ‘BUDDY: 
THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY,’ just doesn’t have the stand-up
comedian style to pull off the adlibbing and
high-jinks needed for the requisite fun.  A great
singer he is, but a comedian, he isn’t.  Many of the
other performers had the same lack of comic timing.

“A high energy concert.”  High energy?  Nope.  Those
who saw PBD at Porthouse earlier this season saw high
energy, and by the way, also the fun aspect, but
Carousel’s production, at least on opening night, was
flat.  The tepid applause at the curtain call was
evidence to that.  On the other hand, the encore
segment was high energy and the audience responded to
that segment with enthusiasm.  Too bad the rest of the
show wasn’t on a “red bull” high.

“A variety of musical styles.”  Yes, the musical score
covers rock, country, ballads and many more styles. 
The musicians did an excellent job of varying the
sounds so that each mode became distinctive.

High points of the production included “Mamaw,” a
plaintive song performed by Pat McRoberts, and ”Be
Good or Be Gone” by Kate Margaret.  A nice tap dancing
interlude in “Drinkin’ Shoes’ brought sustained
applause.

On the other hand, T.N.D.P.W.A.M. (“The Night That
Dolly Parton Was Almost Mine”) lacked the necessary
plaintive feeling of loss.  The always amusing “Farmer
Tan”  failed to delight.   Both of these songs were
performed by Steven Ray Watkins.  He plays a mean
piano, but didn’t let lose in the songs meant to add
“fun” to the show.

Kate Margaret wailed and commanded the stage in each
of her presentations.  Her voice was so strong that
she drowned out the small vocal sounds of Sarah
Nischwitz who lacked needed dynamism.

The impressive set by Robert Kovach was well
conceived, but the massive size of the stage, with all
the real gas pumps, cars and realistic diner,
overwhelmed the small cast.  

One of my favorite theatre professors, Kent State’s
Bill Zucchero, once said,  “You should not come out of
a musical whistling sets and costumes.” 
Interestingly, as I was walking out of the theatre,
the people who I exited with, were talking about the
set and not the quality of the staging or the music. 

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  Hopefully, as ‘PUMP BOYS AND
DINETTES’ runs at Carousel, the pace will pick up, Pat
McRoberts will play more with the audience in a
comfortable and natural way, and Steven Ray Watkins
will let loose and enjoy himself and make his songs
more fun.  If that happens, PBD will be a delightful
experience.

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES’ runs through October 27 .  For
tickets  call 800-362-4100.  Show times are Tuesday
through Thursday evenings at 8:00 p.m., Friday and
Saturday evenings at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday evenings at
5, and Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2 P.M.

Carousel’s next show is Irving Berlin’s ‘WHITE
CHRISTMAS,’ which will play from October 31 to
December 31.

UPCOMING EVENTS

GroundWorks Dance will perform at the Akron Icehouse,
129 North Summit Street on September 7-9 and 14-16. 
The performance will include the premiere of ‘NANO’ by
Artistic Director David Shimotakahara with original
music by Gustavo Aguilar, as well as two other pieces.
 For tickets call 216-691-3180, ex 4.

‘BE GOTTA BINGO’ to run at 14th Street Theatre

‘WE GOTTA BINGO,’ an interactive show will open on
October 26 at the 14th Street Theatre at Playhouse
Square.  A production of the script has been running
in St. Paul, Minnesota for two years. 

The show is run as a bingo fundraiser to benefit the
untimely merger of two Catholic parishes--one Irish
and one Italian (let the arguments begin!).  As the
festivities unfold, the audience experiences a
fun-filled evening of comedy, dinner, dancing and of
course, BINGO!!

Performances are on Tuesdays through Sunday.  For
tickets, times and information call 216-241-6000 or go
to www.playhousesquare.org.  

MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

Martha Graham Dance Company performs for the first
time in Cleveland in over 10 years on Saturday,
November 3 at 8  pm and Sunday, Nov. 4 at 2 pm in the
Ohio Theatre.  The Martha Graham Dance Company is the
oldest and most celebrated contemporary dance company
in the world. 

For tickets:  440-914-0744 or www.dancecleveand.org.


Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2002 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly 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.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


       
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