Bandstand

C

The deliberately drab set by David Korins that greets the audience at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre does not exactly portend an evening of frivolity. Nor does a list of the main characters — six veterans of WWII, damaged either physically or emotionally by their war experience, and a young war widow, all trying without much success to return to normality. Donny Novitski (Cory Cott), a young piano prodigy/composer when the war began, can’t find regular work. Nor can he summon the courage to pay a promised visit to his best friend’s widow, Julia Trojan (Laura Osnes). When a nationwide contest is announced to choose a new swing band for a part in a Hollywood movie, Donny recruits five vets played by James Nathan Hopkins, Brandon J. Ellis, Alex Bender, Geoff Packard and Joe Carroll, to be in the band. All six men not only act, sing and dance, but really play their instruments. Julia, who turns out to be not only a fine singer but a talented poet, becomes their vocalist. Unfortunately there is too little time for the book by Rob Taylor and Richard Oberacker to do more than briefly sketch the characters. Will this motley Cleveland crew win the Ohio contest and go on, despite many obstacles, to the finals in New York? Will they get there riding the Cleveland Limited in first class and stay at the Astor? What starts as a rather dark, unusual, nuanced story loses its edge and morphs unconvincingly into an upbeat, rather conventional crowdpleaser. The music by Richard Oberacker sounds jazzier than swing at times. With one powerful exception, the quiet numbers are better than the showy ones. Beth Leavel, as Julia’’s mother, has one lovely song. The dance numbers are not as enjoyable as I would have expected from the choreographer of Hamilton, Andy Blankenbuehler, who also directed. The costume design by Paloma Young seemed to have no consistent approach. There are enough satisfying moments that one wishes there were more. I really wanted to like it, but left disappointed. Running time: two hours 35 minutes including intermission.

The Threepenny Opera **

Literally from the very first note, I felt that something was amiss with the new Atlantic Theater production of this Brecht-Weill classic. Although the seven musicians were visible onstage, the sound was coming from a spot somewhere over my head. The decision to amplify the music in a theater ot this size seems both unnecessary and wrongheaded. It creates an artificial gap between the musicians and the actors and diminishes any sense of intimacy. Furthermore, the production lacks both a clear unifying vision and a strong sense of time and place. It rarely engaged me at any level. In the past, I have not been a fan of Martha Clarke and her direction and choreography here do nothing to change my mind. On the plus side,  there are abundant vocal treats; both Laura Osnes as Polly and Sally Murphy as Jenny sing beautifully. It's a pleasure to see and hear Mary Beth Peil as Mrs. Peachum and Michael Park is a fine Macheath. F. Murray Abraham is adequate as Mr. Peachum. Robert Israel's set is dark and dreary. Donna Zakowska's costumes fared better. The whole came across to me as considerably less than the sum of its parts. In the long production annals of the show, this production will be remembered, if at all, as the one that featured an English bulldog in a key role. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes including intermission.

Cinderella ***

(Please click on the title to see the full review.)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's  TV musical written for Julie Andrews in 1957 has been subjected to much  tinkering over the years. None of its many versions made it to Broadway until now. Douglas Carter Beane has substantially rewritten the book, with uneven results. The king and queen are gone and there are several new characters including a wicked prime minister and a revolutionary. In this version, Cinderella has a social conscience. Another twist is that it is not at the ball that she loses her glass slipper. One of the stepsisters is not mean and gets a love interest. The best argument for this production is that it provides employment for such stalwarts as Harriet Harris, Victoria Clark and Peter Bartlett. Laura Osnes has the loveliness and vocal talent for the title role. Santino Fontana is dark and handsome, although not tall. His abundant charm makes up for his unremarkable voice. The score is not  one of their best, but does include enjoyable numbers like "Ten Minutes Ago," "Stepsisters' Lament." "A Lovely Night" and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful." Anna Louizos's scenic design is lavish. William Ivey Long's costumes are often garish. His unflattering high-necked jackets with tails for Fontana make him look short and squat. The fairy godmother has an unfortunate headpiece that looks like the antennae of an insect. Mark Brokaw's direction is assured. It adds up to a mildly pleasant evening, especially if you have a young daughter, niece or granddaughter in tow. Running time: two hours, 30 minutes including intermission.