If you're not convinced that the American regional
theater community would be a vastly poorer place without the Paper
Mill Playhouse, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers should make the case.
The playhouse's spanking new show, produced in collaboration
with regional theaters in Beverly, Mass., and Houston, is a humdinger. It
shouts volumes about the contribution of this venerable arts institution,
currently suffering a financial crisis, as guardian, champion and devoted
revivalist of classic American musical theater. With Seven
Brides, a cheering audience experiences firsthand the
Paper Mill's role as a unique theater resource.
From the rousing overture — how many Broadway theaters can boasst
17 first-class pit musicians? — the production highlights what thee
Paper Mill does best. Under Scott Schwartz's stylish direction
and with a cast of multitalented players who sing and dance their hearts
out, the show offers nonstop pleasure. It does so in spite of a silly book
by Lawrence Kasha and David Landry, mostly unmemorable music and lyrics by
Gene de Paul and Johnny
Mercer (supplemented by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn), and enough macho
brawling and female posturing to raise the hackles of those in the audience
who are offended by gender stereotypes.
Movie buffs remember Seven Brides as
a hugely successful 1954 musical starring Howard Keel and Jane
Powell. It was adapted for the stage in 1979 and presented briefly on
Broadway in 1982. A television series of the same name, loosely based on
the film, was yanked after one season. This current adaptation of Seven
Brides features new orchestrations (Tom Helm is the spirited
music director), spectacular settings of a pine-forested, snowy-peaked Oregon
Territory, circa 1850, designed by Anna Louizos and lighted beautifully by
Donald Holder, and charming, homespun period costumes by Jess Goldstein.
Patti Colombo's choreography is outstanding. While
referencing the legendary masters Agnes de Mille and Michael Kidd, she finds
her own ballet-informed choreographic language that spins narrative as it
delights the eye. The company rises to her challenge with a series of enchanting
dance vignettes that are the high points of the show.
The large cast is led by the vocally gifted Edward Watts and Michelle
Dawson. Mr. Watts plays handsome, rugged Adam Pontipee, oldest of the unmarried
Pontipee brothers, whose foray into town and three weeks worth
of courtin' in five minutes results
in his marrying sassy Milly Bradon, played by Ms. Dawson. Milly pictures
Adam's tiny cabin as a haven of peace and solitude; imagine
her shock to discover his six unwashed, uncouth brothers living in the same
tiny space.
"I married seven brothers, became seven wives and seven
mothers," she yowls in horror as the reality of her situation
begins to hit home.
The Pontipee brothers, each one grosser and wilder than the next, are
played with rib-tickling results by Randy Bobish, Luke Longacre, Karl Warden,
Travis Kelley, Eric Sciotto and Christian Delcroix. Mr. Sciotto is a hoot
as the sixth offspring, the unfortunately named Frankincense (his mom ran
out of alphabetically ordered Biblical names when it came to).
Mr. Delcroix, as the youngest brother, Gideon, uses his voice to sweet effect
in the lyric trio Love Never Goes Away.
With Milly taking over the day-to-day running of the household and teaching
the brothers how to dance and court women, the stage is set for a second
foray into town. This time six young village maidens are kidnapped to serve
as six more brides, played fetchingly by Christina Rae Hedrick, Kate Marilley,
Denise Payne, Margot De La Barre, Stephanie Fittro and Sarah Marie Jenkins.
Only after many months of celibate segregation, under Milly's
strict supervision, and an isolating avalanche of snow (again strikingly
produced by Ms. Louizos), do the couples couple. Adam stops pouting over
Milly's take-charge ways and recognizes her for the gem
that she is.
Since Seven Brides belongs to a
musical theater genre where happy endings are a foregone conclusion, you
can bet the farm that all will eventually turn out well. One wishes the Paper
Mill's future were as assured.