On the 20th Century is definitely a show to recommend to your friends from out of town who ask, “What should we see on Broadway when we come to New York?” It’s big, lavish, full of terrific period costumes, and it stars Kristin Chenoweth. This tiny performer with the powerful voice never gives less than 100%, and here, she goes beyond that.
The show starts with a gorgeous Art Deco designed curtain, which tips us off to the 1932 time period. There’s even an overture, which is now almost unheard of on the Broadway stage. The train that is featured in the title is flashy and fun, with doors that swing open and shut as if we were seeing a French farce. The performers give their all; Peter Gallagher is a Gable lookalike as Oscar Jaffee, a formerly major player in show biz, who is now down on his luck and leaving town only slightly ahead of his creditors. Mark Linn-Baker, who enters to applause, and Michael McGrath are his loyal acolytes, who stick by Oscar, even though they’re well aware of his faults.
But there is a plot afoot. Oscar has discovered and groomed one Mildred Plotka, a sad-sack Gooch of a woman who accompanies other people on the piano. But when Mildred sings, Oscar realizes he’s got a rough diamond who can be polished into a sparkling gem. He turns her into a Broadway star, and in the person of Chenoweth, she transforms into the luscious Lily Garland. Unfortunately for Oscar, he did too good a job. Lily is now a glamorous movie star who takes along a strapping boy toy named Bruce Granit for diversion. Oscar needs Lily to re-sign with him, and fast, using whatever means it takes.
Andy Karl uses the muscles he flexed as “Rocky” to good advantage, although many in the audience waited for that T-shirt to come off. He manages to be hunky, preening, dumb, annoying and sympathetic, all at the same time. As Lily’s Hollywood costar, he’s mainly known by the back of his head, as he kisses Lily. But he’s smart enough to know that if Lily rejoins with Oscar, his leading-man days man be over. Money is always a problem when mounting a stage show or movie, but fortunately, the always superb Mary Louise Wilson steps on the scene as Letitia Peabody Primrose, a wealthy eccentric who offers up her millions. Wilson brings down the house with her antics and her singing, and is a refreshing respite from a show that too often gets bogged down. The same can be said for the tap dancing porters, who get an ovation for breaking the mood. The sad fact is that, despite the best efforts of the able performers, this show drags. It’s simply too long, too repetitious, and worst of all, the songs are completely unmemorable. The operatically trained Chenoweth belts out tune after tune in a style that’s not shared by the other members of the cast. For all the hype, this is one train that never quite reaches the station.
