Hey, Look Me Over!

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Hey, Look Me Over!

City Center, NYC, February 11, 2017

Reviewed by Elizabeth Ahlfors for Cabaret Scenes

New York City Center Encores! kicked off its 25th anniversary season with a zippy delivery of “Hey, Look Me Over!” from Wildcat. Encores!, a series that traditionally presents lesser-known musicals, turned this opening show into a revue of songs from the shows. Created by artistic director Jack Viertel and assembled by Rob Berman, a gold-star, seven-person cast including Vanessa Williams, Bebe Neuwirth, Carolee Carmello, Judy Kuhn, Reed Birney, Marc Kudisch, and Nancy Opel  presented highlights from ten musicals never performed at Encores!

Guiding the audience through their numbers was Bob Martin in his Broadway role as The Drowsy Chaperone‘s Man in Chair. As a collector of neglected musicals, the character encouraged us to give some forgotten gems another look-see (although some gems were not much more than costume jewelry). Directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful), Martin, in beige cardigan and down-played wit, was a delight. Besides Wildcat, the 2-1/2 hour production included All American, Jamaica, Milk and Honey, Mack & Mabel, Greenwillow, Sail Away, and George M!, all choreographed by Denis Jones. In addition, opening Act II, Berman’s 30-piece orchestra’s overture played selections from Subways Are for Sleeping and the closing number came from Miss Liberty.

While Wildcat ran for little more than a minute in 1960, Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh’s “Hey, Look Me Over!” was Lucille Ball’s highlight number in her only Broadway musical. However, here its presentation was more fizzle than dazzle, despite Carolee Carmello (Tuck Everlasting) and Britney Coleman’s (Beautiful) full-throated vocals and the vibrant orchestra. The extended book scene fell short of setting up the rousing song.

Charles Strouse and Lee Adams’ All American was a sentimental look at the past that shone with a poignant “Once Upon a Time” beautifully sung by Reed Birney (The Humans) and the superb Judy Kuhn (Fun House).

Vanessa Williams, a diva in red from Jamaica, strutted across the stage with her four-man Caribbean backup to “Push De Button” and “Ain’t It the Truth” (Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg). Jerry Herman’s Milk and Honey featured Marc Kudisch (9 to 5), always welcome, and a return by Kuhn to join him in “Shalom.” A spirited ensemble danced a long and lively “Independence Day Hora.”

Closing Act I was this production’s winner. Herman was back again with Mack & Mabel, showcasing Douglas Sills (War Paint), perfect as self-centered director Mack Sennett, claiming that back in the day “Movies Were Movies.” The naive Mabel Normand was played by Alexandra Socha, a show-stopping spark plug, with “Look What Happened to Mabel.”

In Act II, Martin gave us fair warning, admitting that Greenwillow was one of Frank Loesser’s lesser musicals. However, a solo by Clifton Duncan (Encores!’ Assassins) scored high with his tenacious rendition of “Never Will I Marry.”

The audience-pleaser in Noël Coward’s Sail Away was Bebe Neuwirth putting her own spiky stamp on Elaine Stritch’s original tour-de-force, “Why Do the Wrong People Travel?.” George M! featured the four Cohans and Georgie himself, played by Clyde Alves (On the Town), an ace toe-tapper with “Give My Regards to Broadway.” A perfect ending… only it wasn’t. The closing song was a timely statement on immigration from 1949’s Miss Liberty, with the cast delivering Emma Lazarus’ poem, “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor” to Irving Berlin’s melody.

It’s worthwhile to remind theater lovers of memorable songs from under-appreciated shows, but the added book scenes were too often long, tedious, and dampened enthusiasm for the songs. Bob Martin was delightful in his role of a wry, down-to-earth musical comedy nerd. In the midst of the talent, kudos must go to Alexandra Socha, Clifton Duncan, Clyde Alves and, always, Judy Kuhn.

Despite drawbacks, Encores! is a theater treasure and we should look forward to the next 25 years.

Elizabeth Ahlfors

Born and raised in New York, Elizabeth graduated from NYU with a degree in Journalism. She has lived in various cities and countries and now is back in NYC. She has written magazine articles and published three books: A Housewife’s Guide to Women’s Liberation, Twelve American Women, and Heroines of ’76 (for children). A great love was always music and theater—in the audience, not performing. A Philadelphia correspondent for Theatre.com and InTheatre Magazine, she has reviewed theater and cabaret for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia City News. She writes for Cabaret Scenes and other cabaret/theater sites. She is a judge for Nightlife Awards and a voting member of Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle.