Barrington Stage, Pittsfield, MA
through July 13, 2013
by Shera Cohen
Barrington Stage Company opens each of its summer seasons
with a crowd-pleasing musical. “On the Town” continues to fit this format, not
solely because it does and will attract audiences – some obvious reasons being
that the names of Bernstein, Comden, and Green are attached to it; Gene Kelly
and Frank Sinatra starred in the movie version; and the setting is the Big
Apple – but because BSC mounts top-notch quality productions.
Delightful and joyous, funny and frothy are perfect
adjectives for “On the Town.” The plot is simple. It’s the 1940’s, take three
young sailors off the boat, land them in NYC, and give them 24-hours for each
to find a gal. It is certainly no spoiler to write “mission accomplished.”
After all, this is a comedy.
Except for “New York, New York” (not the Liza Minelli NY)
most of the tunes will not ring a proverbial bell. That’s okay, just enjoy
them. Many are silly (“Caveman Dance” and “I Can Cook”) and a few lean toward
serious (“Some Other Time” and “Lonely Town”). While the sailors make for a
splendid vocal trio, it is their dancing that unites them and with the
audience. When the hoofer ensemble joins them in frequent numbers, “On the
Town” becomes a town not to be missed.
With emphasis on dance, one might not expect the excellent quality
of each lead as a singer. The men – Clyde Alves, Jay Armstrong Johnson, and
Tony Yazbeck – also croon solos, with Yazbeck shining as a fine dancer as well.
Two of their ladies sing –Elizabeth Stanley and Alysha Umphress – and Deanna
Doyle stands on her head, performs other gymnast feats, and dances. Simply by
opening her mouth to talk, Umphress commands the stage. Actually, she doesn’t
even need to talk, since her body language shouts out loud. Here is a great
young comedic talent.
The direction logically and seamlessly fills every moment of
every scene, the choreography feels natural, the pit band of 10 sounds like 20,
the costumes and hairdos replicate the era, and the staging offers simplicity.
It’s far more important in this musical to make room for a smooth soft-shoe or
ballet than the furniture.
Pittsfield is a perfect town for “On the Town.”
