This endearingly corny 1930s hit was successfully revived in London and soon after in New York in 1986 where it was the inaugural show at the then new Marquis Theater. There, it enjoyed a run of three years with its British star Robert Lindsay getting a Tony for his performance. Revisiting this show thirty-one years later was a treat. Whatever revisions for modern audiences (but, what's with the references to My Fair Lady?) were made to the original book by Stephen Fry and Mike Ockrent for modern audiences may be inconsequential, but not so the lilting melodic score by Noel Gay. The show's most familiar song, "The Lambeth Walk," became the rage in London at the time. It continues to encourage an audience to sway and clap in rhythm as the performers take to the aisles. Under the spirited direction of Ashlie Corcoran, the company has a grand time cavorting through the nonsensical plot in which a poor cockney bloke (Michael Therriault) is suddenly catapulted into money and Earldom but refuses to leave behind his lady love (Kristi Frank). If director Corcoran has encouraged/endorsed the terrifically talented Therriault to mug a little too much and deploy too much clownishness into his antics a la Danny Kaye, the audience adores him. Parker Esse's choreography harks back nostalgically to the everybody-come-out-and-tap-your-heart-out era, while Sue LePage's stunning costumes and Drew Facey's classy unit setting dressed up a by-gone era with by-golly creativity.
