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April 14, 2014:

‘S WONDERFUL reviewed by Rob Stevens

swonderful

After his success with I Love A Piano, Writer/Director Ray Roderick was approached by the Gershwin Estate to create a similar revusical using the songs of George and Ira Gershwin. Not having seen the other show, I don’t know how successful Roderick was shoehorning 64 Irving Berlin songs into the story of a piano as it passed through the hands of various owners over the years. In ‘S Wonderful, Roderick  fitted 40 songs into five new mini musicals with different characters in different locations in different eras. The show runs less than two hours and at various times feels like it is both book heavy and book slight. Musical Theatre West’s production at the Carpenter Center is a delight in that the songs are wonderfully performed by a seven-piece onstage band led by Musical Director Bret Simmons on a grand piano and a very talented cast of five—Rebecca Johnson, Damon Kirsche, Ashley Fox Linton, Jeff Skowron and Rebecca Spencer.

The first offering, Nice Work comes with the most book and it does get in the way of the songs. There is a jewel thief on the loose in 1928 New York City and typesetter/wannabe investigative reporter Harold (Skowron) is on the trail. His main suspect is the beautiful but lovelorn Leslie (Fox Linton) who placed a classified ad for “Boy Wanted.” Harold follows her and discovers she is a litterer and a jaywalker among other things. After “Kickin’ the Clouds Away” and a few other songs they each discover “I’ve Got A Crush on You” and end up happily ever after.

Of Thee I Sing is set in 1957 New Orleans after the breakup of a sister act because Jane (Johnson) runs off to New York with Harold who is loved by Rosemary (Spencer). This gives Spencer the chance to really belt out the torch song “The Man I Love,” one of the show’s highlights. Unfortunately she is also reduced to pulling postcards out of her pocket in order to perform “By Strauss,” “A Foggy Day” and “Just Another Rhumba.” The conceit is that the happy couple of Jane and Harold are travelling the world and keeping in touch. Yet when the women finally reunite “It Ain’t Necessarily So” because you find out Jane and Harold split after three weeks in New York.

The book for An American in Paris is very thin. It’s set in 1939 Paris where sailor on leave Gene (Kirsche) meets waitress Leslie and they fall in love instantly while seeing the sights. War breaks out and we flash forward to a happy reunion six years later. Kirsche and Fox Linton make a great couple and their voices blend so wonderfully on “Fascinating Rhythm,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” and “Love is Here to Stay.” They also get to dance to some of the music from the Oscar-winning film’s ballet.

Funny Face is set in 1948 Hollywood where makeup girl Jane daydreams her way into a kissing casting call with movie dreamboat Gene. Johnson really gets to show off her comedy chops in this skit as do Fox Linton and Spencer as other hopeful starlets while Kirsche gets to strut his matinee idol charm as the star. “Do It Again,” “Do, Do, Do” and “They All Laughed” are some of the classics performed here.

Someone To Watch Over Me is set in the present and is basically a jukebox musical. A grandmother wants to share her classic record collection with her grandson but he doesn’t own a record player. Grandmother learns to download them to his IPod. As he listens, such tunes as “Swanee,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Lady Be Good” and “Embraceable You” come to life.

It might have been a better way to go if the entire show was done like the final act. The book does provide some comedy moments and it does give the cast a chance to act as well as sing, but the songs are the real stars here.

Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton in Long Beach.  Ends April 20. 562.856.1999 x4 or www.musical.org

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