Through June 22, 2013
By R.E. Smith
 |
The Cast of “Good News!”
Photo by Diane Sobolewski
|
"Good News" is the musical theatre equivalent of
comfort food: familiar, pleasing, and it fills you will smiles. Just to prove
that this is an true song and dance show, the night begins with a choreographed
overture complete with tap dancing football players. The story is slight, and
part of the charm: college football hero falls for his astronomy tutor while
co-eds frolic and sorority girls swoon.
Further enhancing the warm and fuzzy feelings is the score
of recognizable standards: "The Best Things in Life are Free,"
"You're the Cream in My Coffee," "Keep Your Sunnyside Up,"
and "Button Up Your Overcoat." Closing out the first Act,
"Varsity Drag" earns the energetically physical cast a thunderous and
lengthy round of applause
As jock and tutor, leads Ross Lekites and Chelsea Morgan
Stock are Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds personified. Slapstick sidekick Barry
Shafrin (Bobby) displays the rubbery comedic chops of Huntz Hall and Danny
Kaye. Shafrin is paired up nicely with Tessa Faye's bombshell Babe O'Day, who
countless intermission-goers likened to a young Carol Burnett, with her broad
delivery and angular movements. The chemistry is not limited to the youngsters
either, as Beth Glover's Professor and Mark Zimmerman's Coach Johnson, prove
that the "responsible" adults can get just as moon-faced as the kids.
It would be easy to say that the show is filled with musical
theatre archetypes, but since the show was first produced in 1927, these
characters are really the original molds. Jeremy Desmon's adaptation and
Michael O'Flaherty's direction pull off the admirable feat of staging an old
fashion show, with modern methods, as a loving homage to itself without being
condescending.
One mesmerizing feature of the show is the color scheme.
While the physical set time is fairly simple, it, and every aspect of the show,
has a dazzling color design. Vivid blue backgrounds, vibrant red uniforms,
dazzling accents are all enhanced by a saturated lighting palette. The
costumes, the make-up, the props, every detail is awash in living colors,
making for a singing, dancing rainbow of old fashion entertainment.
