Broadway Bound: The Musicals That Never Came to Broadway Part 4
Unless you frequent Paper Mill Playhouse and/or Goodspeed, you’re unlikely to be familiar with this roster of musicals that never made it in. Reasons often have nothing to do with quality. The series, featuring as many of the original cast performers as possible, piques curiosity as it entertains.
Hosts Robert W. Schneider and Charles Kirsch
Kicks & Co. (Oscar Brown, Jr.) described as Damn Yankees goes to college, closed out of town in Detroit. It featured “that wonderful musical comedy star, Burgess Meredith,” and Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols. Tonight Major Attaway performs “Mr. Kicks” as Satan’s simple servant. His voice is rich and full but there’s not a jot of mischief or evil. From Muscle (William Finn/Ellen Fitzhugh), Sean Stephens renders “Almost Perfect,” a tremulous song delivered too big.
Major Attaway; Sean Stephens
The multi-talented Marc Kudisch inhabits larger than life car salesman, Phil Brody, from The Flamingo Kid (Scott Frankel/Robert L. Freedman). Replete with introduction and dialogue, “The World According to Phil” exudes bombast. Kudisch, who doesn’t need the microphone, unfortunately veers into shouting. Eric Michael Gillett’s “At the Rialto,” from musicalization of The Skin of Our Teeth called Over and Over (John Kander/Fred Ebb), also pushes. The usually uber sensitive interpreter delivers a heart on his sleeve rendition, but stresses an ending that to my mind should be quiet and tender. A beautiful song.
Marc Kudisch; Eric Michael Gillet
“The Real Thing”(Harold and Maude – Joseph Thalken/Tom Jones) and “Goodbye World” (Grover’s Corners – a musicalization of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town – Harvey Schmidt/Tom Jones) salute Jones who passed this year. Eric Millegan and Michael Lavine (standing in for Joy Franz) portray the April/December couple. Millegan aptly appears to be in a tremulous fugue state describing the appeal of death. Making her 54/Below debut with the second song, Allison Belinkoff showcases an excellent voice, fine vocal control, and empathetic expression. Watch for her.
Eric Millegan; Allison Belinkoff
A Wonderful Life (Joe Raposo/Sheldon Harnick) is represented by its title song. Apparently the writers inadvertently secured rights to the film, but not the original story. Michael Lavine and Christine Pedi play George and Mary Bailey. It’s a sweet, Middle America song. “If a car’s too costly, I will take the bus/I’ll be content whatever we have/As long as we have us…” Lavine must be vocalizing these days. He sounds terrific. Pedi projects warmth.
Michael Lavine and Christine Pedi
In another understated, show-stopping delivery of his own work, Richard Maltby, Jr. offers “America Will Break Your Heart” from Waterfall, which was just produced in Bangkok. A Japanese American woman, whose cultural identity was perpetually questioned at home, moves abroad. She warns a local besotted with the U.S. that “America will break your heart.” “Come if you’re tattered/Come if you’re poor/If you’re white and Christian, that’s a plus for sure.” (Richard Maltby, Jr./David Shire). It’s splendid, at the same time darkly funny, clever, and moving. Accompaniment Dennis Cordell.
Richard Maltby, Jr.
“Entrepreneur” (Paper Moon – Larry Grossman/Ellen Fitzhugh) is delightfully performed by John Bolton and Lena Marano as father and daughter. “You set’m up, knock’m down/And then get out of town awhile,” sings the con man.“ I got the style, I got the spunk/You be the child, I’ll be the skunk,” they duet. The actors relate to one another beautifully and brandish appealing gestures. Both are charming. Marano’s vocal reminds me of Andrea McArdle in Annie so many years ago.
Lena Marano and John Bolton
Also from Paper Moon, “I Do What I Can With What I’ve Got” arrives by way of Michele Ragusa whose interpretation presents the sympathetic outsider with pluck. Bolton describes the cast looking proudly up at the Broadway marquee a day before it was taken down. Lori Tann Chinn delicately renders “The Waters Rise” from Half Time (Matthew Sklar/Nell Benjamin). The room quiets.
Michele Ragusa; Lori Tann Chinn
“Alice,” from a first iteration of The Honeymooners (Alan Menken/Howard Ashman – who didn’t get the rights), is both vocally and emotionally successful. Unfortunately, Kevin Dolan makes no attempt to connect with his audience. (A more recent version of the piece was written by Stephen Weiner/ Peter Mills.) “Even the greatest writers had shows that were supposed to come in and did not,” Michael Lavine comments introducing his performance of “I Know It’s True” from Bonanza Bound (Saul Chaplin/Betty Comden and Adolph Green).
Kevin Dolan; Michael Lavine
Minsky’s “I Want a Life” (Charles Strouse/Susan Birkenhead) depicts an unwilling, untalented chorus girl and the revue’s disgruntled, nerd accountant commiserating about a business they both hate. It’s terrific. (Duet performers take note.) As acted by the hysterical Rachel Dratch and here endearing John Cariani, the number emerges to its best advantage. “I want a life where people don’t clap or laugh or dance,” they sing stock still and deadpan while music for a dance break plays.
John Cariani and Rachel Dratch
The smoothly run evening was great fun and illuminating. I look forward to the series’ next show November 20.
Photos by Maryann Lopinto
Broadway Bound: The Musicals That Never Came to Broadway Part 4
Hosts: Robert W. Schneider and Charles Kirsch
Director- Robbie Rozelle
Musical; Director- Michael Lavine
54/Below
254 West 54th Street
