Two revues in two weeks, as different as night and day, makes for a happy reviewer. This week's was PowPAC's very ambitious Jerry's Girls, directed by Jeffrey Gastauer, with Rich Shaffer as musical director and Alisa Williams on the choreography. This is a big show with a large cast, and lots of production numbers and dance routines.
Joel Colbourn's set design opens up the stage just about as wide and deep as possible, offering a variety of entrances. The down-stage center entrance, on a raised platform, allows for truly elegant, showy presentations. Chad Oakley's lighting design adds to the glitz and glamour of the silver-draped set. He uses a lot of hot monochromatic colors. Costume designer Sherrie Colbourn, with the aid of nine others, brjngs a vast array of costumes, from simple black and white to red to outstanding gowns.
Director Jeffrey Gastauer has his cast changing costumes at such a pace, one would think they have a full staff of dressers backstage. Alas, I did not see a credit for even one. Even with these changes, I didn't see a missed cue or a pause for a costume change.
Musical director Rick Shaffer, another very busy talent, brings the cast to performance quality, as well as spending two hours plus each performance with his hands never leaving the keyboard.
While everybody is familiar with the songs from Hello, Dolly!, La Cage aux Folles and Mame, other lesser-known productions are included. My favorite, recently seen in Canada, is Mack and Mabel, the story of Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand.
Choreographer Alisa Williams, who seems to be working for just about every theater in town lately, outdoes herself in production numbers. There are simple solo numbers to trios to chorus lines of six-to-ten ladies.
Leads Kristen Bauer, Kate Hewitt, and Meredith Russo have some very nice moments. Bauer's "Look What Happened to Mabel" from Mack and Mabel, Hewitt's "I Don't Want to Know" from Dear World, and Meredith Russo's “Time Heals Everything” from Mack and Mabel are very enjoyable.
Many of the cast are triple threats (act, sing, and dance). Many of the ensemble also have solo moments. Michelle Law's rendition of “Nelson” from A Day in Hollywood is memorable. I wanted more.
Maria London gives us a fine “So Long Dearie” from Hello, Dolly!. Nicol Reeves rouses us with "Movies Were Movies" from Mack and Mabel. Veronica Schneider teams with Maria London on "Kiss Her Now" from Dear World. Jessica Hince brings us "Take It All Off" from Jerry's Girls. Justine Hince and Kelly Tran offer Mame's "That's How Young I Feel." All of this while these lovely ladies back up the principals and constantly dance.
PowPAC has taken on an extremely big production with success. My one serious criticism: The piano must be dampened much, much more than it is. Some of the voices are soft and get drowned out. Part of the problem is that this is a hard-walled set, which amplifies the piano.
