[NEohioPAL] Berko review: SHOWBOAT @ Mercury SummerStock

[Roy Berko]

SHOWBOAT,
the first musical play, sails courtesy of  Mercury Summerstock
 
Roy Berko
 
(Member, American Theatre
Critics Association)
 
--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
 
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood
News Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times            
 
COOLCLEVELAND.COM
 
Pierre-Jacques Brault, Artistic
Director of Mercury Summerstock, is not known for thinking small.  He confronts projects that other
theatre producers wouldn’t even think of undertaking.  No matter that he is working on a shoestring budget, is
using a tiny stage, and his company consists of one professional actor and a small
group of dedicated performers.  Brault “just keeps rolling along,” ignoring the odds.
 
Show Boatis a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and
lyrics by Oscar
Hammerstein II.  It was
based on Edna Ferber’s novel of the same name.
SHOWBOAT is one of the most important
musicals ever written.  It was
responsible for the transition of the American musical theatre from simple
minded operettas, follies,
musical revues and shows that
featured vaudeville acts.  It was
not, as OKLAHOMA would be some years later, a true, well-integrated musical in
which all the elements—story, songs and dancing—blended together in a way that
one was totally dependent on the other, but it laid down the path to be
followed.  It ushered in a new
genre for the theatre, the musical play. 
The plot chronicles the lives of those
living and working on the Cotton
Blossom, a Mississippi River show boat, from 1880 to
1927. Like so many of the Hammerstein stories to follow, the show's dominant
theme is social justice.  In this
case, racial prejudice.  And it
ushered in another Hammerstein theme, that of tragic and enduring love.  (Think CAROUSEL.)
KERN’S librettois exceptional,
especially considering the era from which it comes.   Classic songs include Make Believe, Can’t Help
Lovin’ Dat Man of Mine, Life Upon the
Wicked Stage, You Are Love, Why Do I Love You? and After the Ball.
 
The Mercury cast, especially the African
American performers and chorus, are outstanding.  Brain Keith Johnson’s version and reprises of Old Man River brought extended cheers.  Kelvette Beacham (Queenie) was a total
delight presenting Queenie’s Bally-Hoo and Mis’ry’s Comin’ Aroun’.
 
Brian Marshall has the handsome looks needed
for Gaylord Ravenal the river gambler who wins the heart of Magnolia, the
daughter of the riverboat’s owners.  He used his excellent singing voice well, but for some reason kept
switching accents (e.g., Southern, Irish, general American) and started out
playing the role as a caricature and then switched to realism.
 
Jennifer Myor (Magnolia) has a lovely voice and
nice stage presence.  Maria Thomas
Lister, as the mixed race Julie, sang her role well, but never got below the
surface in developing a characterization.  
 
Hester Lewellen was a fine, stiff-backed
Parthy, Magnolia’s mother.  Mark
Seven feigned facial and line stereotypes as Captain Andy.  Kaitlyn Dessoffy made for a lovely Kim,
Magnolia’s daughter.  She has a
nice stage presence and fine vocal abilities.  
 
Ryan Neal’s musical direction brought a good
sound from his limited sized orchestra, but needed to inspire volume control
when underscoring speaking scenes.
 
Brault’s staging was impressive, especially
considering that the show is usually done with numerous massive sets, a huge
cast, lots of period costumes and a full orchestra.
 
CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  SHOWBOAT
is a big, important script that is seldom performed because of the cost and
staging necessities.  It gets a
very acceptable production at Mercury.  It’s worth going just to hear Brain Keith Johnson
curl your toenails as he sings Old Man
River.
The show runs
through  August 7 in the Brooks
Theatre at the Cleveland Play House.  For tickets call 216-771-5682 or go to mercury summerstock.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
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