I Can Get It for You Wholesale

A-

Classic Stage Company has revived this Harold Rome (Wish You Were Here, Fanny)/Jerome Weidman (Fiorello!) musical about Harry Bogen, a charming sociopath blazing his way through the garment industry in the late 1930s. The original 1962 production was notable for giving Barbra Streisand her first Broadway role at the age of 19 and for giving Elliott Gould’s career a boost. Weidman’s book, based on his own novel, has been revised by his son John (Pacific Overtures, Assassins) with the aim of bringing back more of the edginess of the novel including the reaction to antisemitism motivating some of the characters. While Rome’s music and lyrics are not up there with better-known midcentury classics, they are more than serviceable. Harry, skillfully portrayed by Santino Fontana (Tootsie, Sons of the Prophet), narrates the story himself and does not attempt to hide the awfulness behind his charm. Judy Kuhn (Fun Home, She Loves Me) lends warmth, wisdom and her glorious voice to the role of Harry’s mother. Adam Chanler-Berat (Next to Normal, Fortress of Solitude) is fine as Harry’s hapless partner Meyer and Sarah Steele (“The Good Fight”) does well as Meyer’s wife Blanche. Greg Hildreth (The Rose Tattoo, The Robber Bridegroom) captures the ambivalence of Harry’s less trusting partner Teddy. Julia Lester (Into the Woods) triumphs as their secretary, Miss Marmelstein. In an interesting casting twist, both women competing for Harry’s attention – his friend since childhood Ruthie Rivkin and showgirl Martha Mills – are played by black actors – Rebecca Naomi Jones (Oklahoma, Big Love) and Joy Woods (SIX: The Musical, Little Shop of Horrors), respectively. Both are top-notch. Eddie Cooper, Victor de Paula Rocha, Adam Grupper, Darron Hayes and Hayley Podschun are fine in smaller roles. Mark Wendland’s (Next to Normal, Unknown Soldier) set consists mainly of about 10 plain tables and around 20 plain black chairs that are pushed around to represent several locations as needed. Ann Hould-Ward’s (Beauty and the Beast, Into the Woods) period costumes are a treat. Choreographer Ellenore Scott’s (Grey House, Little Shop of Horrors) number for Harry and Martha is steamy. Director Trip Cullman (Lobby Hero, Punk Rock) mostly keeps things moving briskly although there are a few slack moments during the second act. CSC has provided a valuable service in bringing back this underappreciated musical. I was very glad to have the chance to see it, especially in a first-rate production. Running time: two hours 35 minutes including intermission. NOTE: Seats in Row A do not have arms.

Pacific Overtures

B+

It was interesting to see Pacific Overtures the day after The Hairy Ape. Both are radically conceived revivals of works that are not generally considered to be among their creator’s finest. Both revivals succeed in making the case that these works should not be overlooked. John Doyle is working his way through the Sondheim canon; he has directed Company, Sweeney Todd, Passion and Road Show. In the first two of these, the actors were burdened with also being the musicians. Fortunately he has not repeated that gimmick for this CSC production. What he has given us is an intimate, streamlined, modern dress version with a fine cast. Pacific Overtures differs from his other shows in that it is basically a musicalized history lesson with characters that are sketched rather than fully developed. With a lovely score ably orchestrated by Jonathan Tunick and an interesting book by John Weidman with additional material by Hugh Wheeler, it doesn’t need fancy sets and costumes to make its case. [However I must say that I enjoyed the visually lavish Roundabout revival in 2004.] In this production, Doyle’s design is basically a long runway platform that continues up the wall on one side like a scroll and has a Japanese seat near one end. The audience face each other along the long sides and the musicians are at one end. The performers move fluidly both along the platform and both side aisles. Most of the cast of ten play multiple roles. George Takei plays the reciter. Ann Harada adds humor as the madam and the French admiral. Stephen Eng and Megan Masako Haley are strong as the hapless Kayama and his wife Tamate. Karl Josef Co, Austin Ku, Kelvin Moon Loh, Orville Mendoza, Marc Oka and Thom Sesma round out the fine cast. They all wear contemporary Western attire accessorized on occasion by silks that recall the famous “Great Wave” print. Sometimes a stripped-down production is valuable in revealing what is essential about a show. It works quite well here. Running time: 90 minutes; no intermission. NOTE: I advise against front row seats particularly if you are short, because the runway platform is quite high. Also, front row seats have no arms.