[NEohioPAL] Berko review: BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS @ Cleveland Play House

[Roy Berko]

BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS…entertaining, but… 

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

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In the Golden Age of Hollywood, Ginger Rogers, who is the subject of the musical 
BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS: THE GINGER MUSICAL, was unique.  Lots of starlets were 
beautiful, but few had Rogers' gall and chutzpa.  She was a feminist who, when 
she found out her dance partner, Fred Astaire, was making more money than she,  
supposedly demanded equal pay because she did everything that he did but 
backwards and in high heels.  She was a Christian Scientist who did not drink or 
smoke and demanded that objectionable words and ideas be censored from her 
scripts.  

BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS examines Roger's life, including the role of her 
overly-protective mother, her rise through the vaudeville ranks, entrance into 
the Hollywood scene, the many husbands, and her near myth-like glamour.

Rogers filmed numerous musicals with Fred Astaire, starting with the 1933  
Flying Down to Rio.  The duo is credited with changing the Hollywood musical.  
In 1940 she broke from  her singing/dancing past, and playing against type, won 
the Best Actress Academy Award for the dramatic saga Kitty Foyle.

The intimate musical, written by Lynnette Barkley and Christopher McGovern, is 
more review with some story thrown in, than a well-made musical.  It contains 
almost twenty songs, not all of which related specifically to Rogers, and are 
shoe-horned in between spoken dialogue to create the story.  This fragmented 
blend of music and story pieces causes a lack of idea flow and makes it 
difficult to get emotionally wrapped up in the story.

Highlight musical segments include Fascinating Rhythm, I Got Rhythm, and 
But…When?.  The tap dance numbers seemed to wow the audience.

The production, under the direction of Scott Schwartz, though it contains some 
creative staging, often lacks dynamism and cohesion.   The entire production 
could have used faster pacing.

Part of the problem is the casting.  Ann Aimee White is marvelous as Ginger.  
She sings, acts and dances well.  Unfortunately, there is an emotional 
disconnect between White and Matthew Labanca who attempts to portray Fred 
Astaire.  Labanca lacks Astaire's charisma and smoothness, both in speech and 
dancing. In addition, the three male dancers don't always sync well in their 
dance movements.  

On the other hand, Christinne Tisdale, who plays numerous roles, is delightful.  
Her Ethel Merman take-off in I Got Rhythm is the smile delight of the show.  
Heather Lee is character-right as Ginger's mother.  Hers is a stellar 
performance.

The CPH staging is being coproduced with the San Jose Repertory Theatre (San 
Jose, California), Asolo Repertory Theatre (Sarasota, Florida) and Arizona 
Theatre Company (Tucson/Phoenix, Arizona).

CAPSULE JUDGMENT:   BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS:  THE GINGER MUSICAL, is an 
entertaining evening of theatre, which would have been aided by a stronger 
script, faster pacing and some better casting.

BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS runs through January 30 at the Cleveland Play House.  
For tickets call 216-795-7000 or go to www.clevelandplayhouse.com.
 
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 
2011, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at 
http://royberko.info.  His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com 
and www.NeOHIOpal