By John Quinn
Despite a passing similarity to European operetta, the "book musical" is one of the few uniquely American art forms. The successful performer in musical theater must be a multi-tasker - the proverbial "triple threat" of singer/dancer/actor. What sets this genre apart is how integral those talents are in telling a story. So, if the story is diminished by lack of music, is the music diminished out of context? If you're talking "Jerry's Girls," the Performance Network's homage to composer Jerry Herman, the answer is no! Assemble a cast of triple threats and the resulting musical revue is a delight.
Jerry Herman has been a mainstay of New York theater for over half a century. His hits are familiar to everyone: "Hello Dolly," "Mame," "La Cage aux Folles." Those blockbusters make Herman one of only two composers to have three shows break the 1500 performance ceiling on Broadway. But he is also responsible for some less successful, yet beautifully composed works, notably "Mack and Mabel," loosely based on Hollywood legends Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand, and "Dear World," based on Jean Giraudoux's play, "The Madwoman of Chaillot." In 1981, Herman, along with director Larry Alford, selected musical numbers spanning his career and launched this little exercise in cabaret at Onstage, a Theater District nightclub.
And true to its nightclub origins, "Jerry's Girls" glimmers. That starts with Monika Essen's pale grey, tres Deco set which reaches out and embraces the onstage orchestra. The set does double duty; a section of the elegant, clean lined facade glides open to reveal a cramped, cluttered dressing room. This allows for all-out production numbers "out front" and more personal, introspective pieces backstage. Add the shimmer of satin and the sparkle of lame in Suzanne Young's costumes, add Mary Cole's effective use of follow spots in the lighting design, and the result is a production that joyfully shouts, "It's show time!"
Music director R. MacKenzie Lewis is no slouch in the triple threat department. The pianist/conductor also orchestrated the score for sextet, and it's first-rate. The music is rich and deep; the arrangements preserve a lot of the complex balance much easier to achieve with a larger orchestra. While choreographer Phil Simmons keeps the girls on their toes, each performer is solidly in her comfort zone.
And how 'bout those "girls?" Something of a triple threat artist herself, director Carla Milarch has quite simply assembled five of the most talented women around. "Girls" is, of course, kind of demeaning. Naz Edwards, Barbara Scanlon, Leslie Hull, Erin Esposito, and Thalia Schramm are very classy ladies of the theater. If an attempt were made to describe all the highlights of "Jerry's Girls," it would tax the patience of even the most dedicated reader.
In brief, whether solo, duo, trio, quartet or all five ensemble, the players bring a delicate sensibility in their interpretations. Be prepared for multiple showstoppers.
REVIEW:
'Jerry's Girls'
Performance Network Theatre, 120 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. Thursday-Sunday through Jan. 5. $27-46. 1 hour, 50 minutes. 734-663-0681. http://www.performancenetwork.org
