Wow!!! A cast of 11 in 27 roles singing and dancing happily through the music of Paul McKibbins and the lyrics by BT McNicholl in Michael Small and McNicholl's The IT Girl. director Thomas Fitzpatrick, musical director Rick Shafer and choreographer Alisa Williams, with their talented cast, have created a production with great audience appeal.
The show is based on Paramount MoPic's 1927 "IT," starring Clara Bow. Written in 2001, The IT Girl tells the classic tale of a sassy department-store salesgirl who wins a contest because she has that special quality known as "it." There is a romance, a villainous rival for the heart of the handsome head of the department store, and plenty of deception. Most of all there is just plain fun. The music is joyful, the dance seems spontaneous, and the dialogue and lyrics will have you laughing.
The jokes is punderful. Yes, punderful, that wonderful combination of puns and an unbelievable amount of double entendres. In fact, they came so fast, I could copy only a few of them. Lines like "Two's company, three's the results," "Snubbed by the snobs," and the rather weird "persona non yacht."
The song titles from the prologue of "Black and White World," which set the style of the show, carry much of the story. The Act One opener is "Why Not?" Other titles include, "Stand Straight and Tall," "What to Wear?," and "A Perfect Plan."
The second act opens with "Woman and Waif," "Left-Hand Arrangement," and, when sailing on hero Jonathan Waltham's (Thomas Doyle) yacht, "Out at Sea" and "How Do You Say...?" The act closes with Jonathan and salesgirl Betty Lou Spence's (Shauna Riisoe) lovely duet, "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me."
The only other single role is that of the frightfully villainous Adela Van Norman (Meredith Russo), of "the" Van Normans. In the first act, she hatches and sings about "A Perfect Plan." Alas for her, the best laid plans do tend to go astray.
The design folks worked overtime. Jane Russell and Thomas Fitzpatrick's costumes reflect the period nicely, as well as fostering the monochrome look. Barron Henzel's black-and-white video and projections set the style from the opening titles and the many period photos. Uncredited were the hair/wig and make-up designs. The hair is '20s style; the make-up is harsh, complemented by Dale Goodman's lighting design to give the overall feeling of a lack of color.
Sound designers Nate Bergquist and Rick Shaffer faced a logistical nightmare with most of cast miked at all times. Rick Shafer, also the music director, spends two hours a night with a 300-page score, accompanying the cast on the ivories from one of the wings.
The IT Girl is an event. It is fast-paced from one scene to another, which requires some of the cast to perform quick costume and persona changes. Those with double and triple roles (one has five) are Manny Bejarano, Amanda Everett, Stephanie Hester, Veronica Lee, Dante Macatantan, Alex Matsuo, Nick Munson, and Loraine Odierno. All do fine jobs in their quick change and new personalities.
An advertisement for the Waltham department store posted in the program reads "Since 1852 Waltham's Very Fine Department Store where the finest traditions of American business have led to quality, courtesy and bankruptcy." How can you possibly go wrong with that slogan?
