What a pleasure it is to watch actors perform in a hit show. Even consummate professionals give just a little more when they know they’re in a sure-fire hit. There’s that extra sparkle in the current production of On The Town.Everyone in the cast really shines; the songs are sung full out, the dance steps have verve and bounce, the lines are effortlessly popped out to the last row in the second balcony. And throughout., the audience roars with appreciation.
Three sailors have a 24-hour leave in New York City. They are determined to see all the sights and to immediately begin a quest for romance. To set the patriotic vibe, the show opens with a huge American flag on a screen covering the entire stage. The Star Spangled Banner is played before any showtunes are introduced and, yes, the audience stands and sings along, and not just the tourists. The year is 1944, although the only mention of war is the fact that Gabey has saved the lives of his two buddies, rakish Ozzie (Clyde Alves) and clueless Chip (Jay Armstrong Johnson).
Chip has the day all planned out in an impossibly compacted schedule, but when Gabey sees a picture of the June Miss Turnstiles, Ivy Smith (Megan Fairchild), he falls hard, and the sailors decide that the day will be devoted to helping Gabe find his dream girl. Along the way, Chip becomes involved with a very determined cab driver, Hildy (Alysha Umphress), and Ozzie meets his match in the engaged, but still randy, Claire (Elizabeth Stanley). Meanwhile, Ivy yearns to live up to her image, while trying to learn to sing with the outrageously outré Maude P. Dilly (Jackie Hoffman). Ozzie, Chip, and their new girlfriends race around town trying to help Gabe hook up with Ivy, only to have to return to their ship like Cinderella without her slipper.
In a blazingly accomplished cast, Megan Fairchild stands out as a wistful but determined Ivy. Fairchild is a principle dancer with New York City Ballet, and she’s so lovely and plucky, she could convince the most diehard NASCAR fan to convert. It’s easy to understand why Gabe falls so hard for her.
Yazbeck plays Gabe with real heart; his rendition of the emotional “Lonely Town” is a welcome interlude in an otherwise almost overwhelmingly frenetic production. He also has the most amazing breath control since Sinatra. Does this actor ever have to take a breath? His fellow sailors are also spot on; Johnson is a young Matt Damon, Alves is cut from the same mold as Bobby Cannavale.
Umphress triumphs over writing which could easily have turned her character into an obnoxious female-predator stereotype. Stanley hits all the right notes, literally and figuratively, as Claire. As for Hoffman, she throws the audience into a paroxysm of laughter every time she steps on stage, although for me, I found it all a bit wearying by the end.
In fact, John Rando’s inspired direction has created a steamroller of a show; it’s only when we get to experience a sublime dream ballet from choreographer Joshua Bergasse (best known for the cult favorite TV series “Smash”) that we realize we need to take a breath. Bergasse has given Fairchild a solo turn worthy of her talent and skill, and it is nothing short of superb. Bergasse has also escaped falling into the West Side Story trap of feminizing the sailors; he gives them steps and leaps which define them as athletes as much as dancers.
Beowulf Boritt’s scenic and projection design work hand-in-hand with Jason Lyons’ lighting and Jess Goldstein’s costumes to create an image of a magical and glamorous New York as seen through fresh eyes. How perfect for our beloved Big Apple that natives and tourists alike will be able to experience our Helluva Town through this wonderful prism of obvious affection and meticulous artistry.
