David H. Bell's sparkling new, cleverly executed revision of Rodgers and Hart's 1938 musical would be reason enough to see it, but shrewd casting, slick direction and choreography and spectacular, imaginative technical support add up to a thoroughly wonderful evening of theater for mature audiences.
The musical is loosely based on one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, "The Comedy of Errors." Taking the play from ancient Greece and resetting it during the swing era, fleshing out the show's original book by adding and rearranging scenes, inserting three additional songs from the Rodgers and Hart canon and pacing the show like a runaway train makes this production as entertaining and accessible for today's audiences as anything you'll see on Broadway. Familiar songs such as "Falling in Love with Love," "Sing for Your Supper" and "This Can't Be Love" will send the audience home humming these melodies. Energetic chases, clever, rapid-fire dialogue, bawdy humor and wildly spirited choreography will keep spectators on the edge of their seats. Peppering the play with puns, alliteration and countless sight gags and Vaudeville humor, Bell has mined every ounce of schtick and broad comedy from this brilliantly re-imagined musical classic.
The implausible story's message is quite simple: "Seeing is NOT believing." Employing the familiar comedic plot device of mistaken identity, two sets of twin baby brothers become separated from their parents and each other during a shipwreck. Years later, two of the twins arrive on an island in search of their missing siblings. A wealthy woman and her servant mistake the two strangers for their spouses and through a multitude of complications and mishaps, a comedy of errors ensues, one full of slapstick and high-octane energy.
Everyone in the 28-member ensemble is brilliant in this production. Bell skillfully employs each actor's strengths to their fullest. Ryan Reilly and Rod Thomas, both handsome, well-trained singer/dancers, actually resemble each other as the two Antipholus twins. Andrew Keltz and Devin Desantis both have a field day mastering their comic timing and physical shtick as the twin servants. George Keating once again has an opportunity to demonstrate his comedic prowess and physical dexterity as the Sergeant of Police. Indeed, most of the ensemble joins him, becoming the uproarious Keystone Cops during the show's frenetic big chase scene.
One of Chicago's favorite leading ladies, Susan Moniz, is exquisitely bitchy as Adriana. Her lovely voice lilts in "Falling in Love with Love." A welcome newcomer to Drury Lane is Tiffany Topol, who looks, sings and dances like a young Mitzi Gainer. She's terrific as Adriana's younger sister, Luciana. Hilarious comic actress and belter Melody Betts hits all the right notes as their servant, Luce. The three ladies harmonize together wonderfully in "Sing for Your Supper." And Dorrey Lyles wails, shimmies and shakes as The Courtesan leading the ensemble through the rousing "Oh, Diogenes!"
Rob Bowman, Keith Dworkin and David Bell have spiced up the Rodgers and Hart musical numbers so that they sound new and fresh. Sally Weiss' luminous hued and textured, solid scenic design, lit by Jesse Klug's wash of Mediterranean sunlight, truly evokes the pastel stucco villas of the Greek Isles. Tatjana Radisic's extraordinary period costumes complete the sensual trip back to the Swing Era. For a perfect all-singing, all-dancing, all-hilarious evening in the theater, I highly recommend David H. Bell's wonderfully entertaining production at Drury Lane Oakbrook.
Reviewed by Centerstage!
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