Applause
City Center
New York, NY
We can't blame Ebersole's flu attack for Applause's musical drawbacks. This performer is a trooper. Thanks to Ebersole's grit, the show did go on. During the performance, she was obviously protecting her voice, but she hit her notes, even the high ones, and plowed through the show with fortitude and her unique flair.
Margo Channing, however, is not the role for Christine Ebersole, who is a versatile, affable, glowing talent. Understandably, her energy was low, but the lovely Christine does not possess the audacious presence, the hard edges and harsh demeanor of Margo, who was a STAR—temperamental, self-involved and tactless.
Betty Comden and Adolph Green's inadequate book updated the story to the late '60s. Set in a frame, Margo is about to present a Tony Award to Eve Harrington, played by Erin Davie. Flashback a year and an half earlier, when Eve suddenly appeared backstage after one of Margo's shows, and began to ingratiate herself into Margo's life. Margo, for all her conceit, is self-conscious of her advancing age and is in love with a younger man, Bill Sampson (Michael Park). Margo's best friend, Karen Richards (Kate Burton), Karen's husband/playwright, Buzz (Chip Zien), and producer Howard Benedict, are all captured by Eve's guileless adulation of Margo. Even the star herself, who should be grand and dismissive, is fooled by the apparent naïf. Only Duane, Margo's hairdresser/confident, played with controlled acerbity by Mario Cantone, sees through her.
Eve eventually becomes Margo's understudy. When sympathetic Karen arranges to keep Margo stranded in the country, Eve gets her stage break and is a hit. Eve later repays Karen's favor by having an affair with her husband Buzz. When she also makes a move on Margo's fiancé, Bill, he rejects her: "What I go after, I want to go after. I don't want it to come after me."
Erin Davie lacked Eve's necessary scheming sweetness and cunning sexuality. With pinched intensity, she explained in "One Hallowe'en," how she grew to be so manipulative. It is an emotional song and delivered with energy but not heart.
The talented secondary characters included Michael Park as Bill, a sturdy baritone with a compelling ballad, "Think How It's Gonna Be." Kate Burton's Karen seemed too smart and loyal to be taken in so easily by Eve. Chip Zien and producer Tom Hewitt were not well rounded. Mario Cantone was the show's sparkplug with his acerbic comments.
Charles Strouse and Lee Adams score is unfortunately unremarkable. Exceptions include Margo's yearning plea to Bill, "Hurry Back." At a gay bar, Ebersole nailed the spirit of the song, "But Alive," although her dance with the boys was labored. Her Act 1 ending was a smashing "Welcome to the Theatre," with harsh and visceral advice to Eve: "Unsheathe your claws, enjoy the game."
Unfortunately, most of director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall's dance numbers were energetic and polished, but fillers that did not move the story along to its precipitous ending. Kudos to Megan Sikora, an eye-catching, limber and vivacious lead gypsy. "Applause," the title song, the purpose of the all show business, was padded with gimmicky snatches of previous Encores productions, like Chicago, Company, and Gypsy.
Music director and conductor, Rob Berman, led a rich robust onstage orchestra and opened with a stirring overture. Disappointing were many of Martin Pakledinaz' flower-power costumes, especially Margo's party caftan. John Lee Beatty used spare but meticulous touches to effectively set up his scenes.
Except for the plucky Ebersole who, like Margo Channing, feels the show must go on, Applause did not give you enough to applaud.
Encores! next productions will be, Juno based on Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock with Victoria Clark (March 27-30, 2008) and No, No, Nanette with Sandy Duncan, Beth Leavel and Rosie O'Donnell (May 8-12, 2008).
Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
February 9, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org