NYMF 2006 Roundup #3

[Ed. Note: This is the last of three TheaterMania review roundups of shows in the third annual New York Musical Theatre Festival.]

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In her new musical Hot and Sweet, writer/composer/lyricist Barbara Schottenfeld uses a fictional all-female band in World War II called “The Honeytones” as a means to tell a fascinating story about women’s struggle to make their mark in the male-dominated world of jazz. These “Rosie the Riveters with rhythm,” as they’re dubbed by one character, are an excellent subject for a musical. And, as might be expected from the award-winning songwriter Schottenfeld, the show’s score is quite tuneful and accomplished.

However, for Hot and Sweet to fully deliver on its promise, the book needs serious revamping. Schottenfeld’s most involving story is about the band’s leader, Blossom Lee, sensationally played by Rebecca Eichenberger. Despite her air of refinement, Blossom is actually a former stripper who has borrowed money from her former employer to start the band in hopes of regaining her respectability. She’s selfish and foolish at the start, but during the course of the two-and-a-half-hour show, she develops into a strong, smart woman who gradually earns our respect — as well as the respect of the other women in the band.

Sadly, Schottenfeld fails to give Blossom’s tale sufficient focus — even if the character gets a really good 11 o’clock number, “I’ll Never Face the Facts” — since the show’s center spotlight is on the band’s musical director, Adele Weinstein, well played by Tony Award winner Katie Finneran. One major problem with the show is that this tough-as-nails woman never really changes. Also, the conflict between Adele, who wants to make the band “hot” (jazzy), and Blossom, who wants to keep things “sweet,” needs to be expanded upon. Further, the framing device of bracketing the Honeytones’ story with appearances by the much older Adele (Mimi Bensinger) and another band member, whose identity is kept secret until the end of the show, is awkward at best.

Moreover, Schottenfeld too earnestly presents the stories of the band’s other members, including the virginal Naleen (the lovely Lea Michele), the beautiful Lana (Elizabeth Inghram), and the unfaithful Britt (spunky Lizzie Moore). Still, it’s a real treat to have these fine actresses and so many excellent female musicians, including trumpeter Jami Dauber and pianist Jo Lynn Burks, performing on the same stage.

To her credit, Schottenfeld doesn’t leave out the male of the species. She gives significant play to Lou, the band’s world-weary manager, superbly embodied by Broadway veteran William Parry; and to Gino, the surprisingly refined gangster who falls for Blossom, beautifully limned by Raymond McLeod. Only the character of Jimmy, Naleen’s teenage love interest, seems superfluous and poorly developed, despite a winning portrayal by Andy Sandberg.

While the score may not produce any enduring classics, it does contain some first-rate songs, including the toe-tapping “Jam Ain’t Made in the Kitchen,” the tender love ballad “When Someone Believes in You,” and the comically pleasing “C’est La Vie, C’est L’Amour, Say Goodbye.” The final verdict on Hot and Sweet: “C’est pretty good.”

— B.S.L..

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According to a program note for Party Come Here, the show was “inspired by a trip that [book writer Daniel Goldfarb] took to South America, as well as a documentary on the crypto Jews of New Mexico….Tonally, it takes its cues from such disparate sources as Philip Roth, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Sergio Mendes…[Composer/lyricist David Kirshenbaum] took his musical inspiration from the bossa nova recordings of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Nara Leao, with a little Burt Bacharach thrown in for good measure, all filtered through a theatrical sensibility.”

If you think this makes the musical sound like it might be unfocused in terms of style and content, you’re right. The plot centers on Jack (Hunter Foster) and Kate (Kerry Butler), who are just about to be wed when several disasters occur — such as Kate’s wedding dress being ruined by both Jack’s nosebleed and an exploding flambé made by his mother, Liberty (Kaitlin Hopkins), who’s catering the event. Taking all of this as a sign that the marriage must not go forward, Kate backs out and persuades Jack that they should fly to Rio to visit his father, Wood (Terrence Mann), whom she has never met.

Directed by Will Frears, the show begins to come apart at the seams when the action switches to Brazil. Wood, who calls to mind a 1960s stoner, is living there with the much younger Volere (Karen Olivo), but he and Kate become sexually involved with each other soon after her arrival. Also on hand is Fyvush Finkel in the fantastical role of Orlando, a 500-year-old, cave-dwelling Jew who helps Jack get in touch with his heritage. Further complicating the situation, Liberty eventually turns up, and Orlando starts to lust after Volere.

The good news about Party Come Here is that the songs are mostly wonderful; Kirshenbaum has come up with spicy Latin-flavored melodies and harmonies, and he has crafted true rhymes for his lyrics, a talent that seems to be rare among his contemporaries. The score’s highlights include the infectious title song and the terrific opening number, “Making the Leap.” On the minus side, the lyrics are sometimes so vulgar as to give one pause — and this is also true of Goldfarb’s dialogue. A various points in the show, Kate refers to Rio’s famous statue of Jesus as a “fucker”; Volere becomes angry at Wood and threatens to “cut his thing off”; and, when someone mentions The Fountainhead in passing, Liberty exclaims that this was her nickname for Wood’s penis before their divorce.

This wouldn’t be a major issue if Party Come Here were consistently funny — but it isn’t. Indeed, the laughs are few and far between after the first scene, which is hilarious. Happily, a strong cast makes the most of the material. The show is a reunion for Foster and Butler, who starred opposite each other in the 2003 Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors; he’s appealing as ever, she’s one of the cutest performers in musical theater, and they play well with each other. Though Finkel sometimes stumbles in his lines and lyrics, he remains a potent comic presence, and the audience clearly adores him. Mann is perfectly cast as Wood, Olivo is a sexy spitfire as Volere, and the always brilliant Hopkins mines whatever laughs she can from the role of Liberty. The singing/dancing ensemble consists of the talented Randy Aaron, Cathryn Basile, Justin Keyes, and Katie Klaus.

One final observation: Party Come Here is way overamplified. This sort of thing is always annoying but seems especially hard to justify here, given that the theater has only about 200 seats and the show is scored for three non-electronic instruments: piano, bass, and percussion. (Vadim Feichtner is the musical director/pianist/conductor.) If anyone can explain the need for ear-splitting volume under these circumstances, please email me.

— M.P.