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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Bullets over Broadway Also see Gil's reviews of Finding Neverland, Native Son, Billy Elliot the Musical, and Jarrod Spector and Kelli Barrett
It's 1929 in Manhattan and poor playwright David Shayne is about to get his first play produced on Broadway. But there are a bevy of problems. Producer Julian Marx has enlisted gangster Nick Valenti to fund the production but Valenti will only back the show if his talent-free girlfriend Olive gets a plum part in the show. Valenti enlists hit man Cheech to attend rehearsals to ensure that not only is Olive's part not cut but that she doesn't get into any philandering on the side with her co-stars. On top of these obstacles, the star of the show, aging Broadway diva Helen Sinclair, has set her sights on David, thinking if she romances him, he will not only beef up her role but write more parts for her in the future. David finds himself stuck between Helen and his simple girlfriend Ellen, plus Cheech keeps coming up with ideas about the play that are actually better than David's. Murder, mischief, mayhem, and nonstop hilarity ensue. Allen's musical script is fairly faithful to the screenplay he wrote with Douglas McGrath. While the show does not have an original musical score, instead using over twenty songs from the period including several that are familiar, Allen's dialogue pops with many funny moments. While some of the songs are a bit of a stretch for the plot, appearing at numerous times to be uncomfortably shoehorned in, about half of the tunes have additional lyrics by Glen Kelly that help smooth over the rough spots and make the songs fit with the plot and the characters' voices. Michael Barnard's direction is spotless, as is his entire comically gifted cast. Toby Yatso is perfect as David, the slightly pretentious young man who doesn't want to compromise his play yet finds his highbrow hopes dashed when faced with reality. Yatso's expressive eyes and rubbery facial gestures work well to make every comical moment and obstacle David encounters generate big laughs. Caleb Reese is exceptional as the murderous thug Cheech. He oozes the perfect amount of charm beneath his menacing exterior so you never quite know if he's going to kill someone or croon a tune. Reese delivers a crowd pleasing-performance as this very lovable gangster. Sally Jo Bannow is sublime as the almost, but not quite, over the hill Helen in an utterly hilarious performance full of exaggerated gestures steeped in melodrama. As the ditzy Olive, Michelle Chin is a firecracker. With a screechy voice (worse than nails on a chalkboard) and a rough exterior, Chin delivers an exceptional portrayal of this dimwitted and lewd chorine who you just love to hate. In supporting parts, Robert Kolby Harper does well as the show's leading man Warner Purcell who has been known to have issues in the past with his weight. He claims he's on a diet but quickly finds himself drawn to anything he can get his hands on, including Olive. Trisha Hart Ditsworth brings a sunny disposition to actress Eden, who has a strange fixation on her dog, while Emilie Doering is full of charm as David's girlfriend Ellen. Scott Davidson brings a sweet gravitas to Valenti and David Dickinson does well as the show's producer who tries to hold things together. Barnard's direction flows seamlessly in cinematic fashion as it moves from one locale to another, expertly using Robert Kovach's lush, rotating, two-tiered set and Michael J. Eddy's evocative lighting to create numerous stunning stage images. Costume designer Cari Sue Smith has created dozens of delicious 1920s designs. Sam Hay's excellent choreography adds plenty of moments of non-stop dazzle and heightened comedic moments throughout, including the showstopping "Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do" in which Reese leads the very talented ensemble into a stunning tap dance frenzy. With a talented cast, clean and crisp direction, and superb creative elements, Bullets from Broadway might not have been a success on Broadway but at Phoenix Theatre it is a frothy and rollicking good time. Phoenix Theatre's production of Bullets over Broadway runs through April 2nd, 2017, with performances at the Phoenix Theatre at 100 E. McDowell Road in Phoenix. Tickets can be purchased at phoenixtheatre.com or by calling (602) 254-2151 Director: Michael Barnard Cast: *Members Of Actors' Equity Association, The Union of Professional Actors & Stage Managers in the U.S. |
