Music and movies go together as four singer-dancers summon up memories of favorite viewings and accompanying tunes from silent to recent film classics. By starting with “Hurray for Hollywood” and “That’s Entertainment”, the group previews the script’s organization of songs from earliest films through each decade until the present. So there’s at least some tune for every body of every age in the audience to recall and love, as it will an era’s chief events.
Joel Newsome is leader onstage of the younger fella Michael Mejia-Mendez, the wholesome blonde Liz Power (who was in FST’s decade-earlier version of the show), and sultry Cabaret newcomer Alexis Semevolos-Velazquez. Joel then settles in, Jolson-like, to “Toot-Toot-Toosie” from the first movie musical The Jazz Singer, 1927.
The 1930s may have started with atypical-of-the-generation “Putting’ On the Ritz,” but the foursome (using formal suits, top hats, walking sticks) opine that people loved having a relief from the depression atmosphere. That may be a reason why Disney films and music dominated in the decade.
Except for Liz’s plaintive “Some Day My Prince Will Come” from “Snow White” in ’37, the hit about being “Off to See the Wizard” allows all the singing dancers to “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” cleverly on the relatively small Court Cabaret stage. A lovely end is Alexis’s clear soprano on “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
The last stop in the ’30s is on “Minnie the Moocher,” where Michael imitates Cab Calloway from “The Big Broadcast” film. Michael actually brings his audience with him as he hits the songs’s high-de-highs! Alexis’ remembering Lena Horne in an unusual Black film with “Stormy Weather” is the sole song from 1940s.
The 1950s’ highlight film was “Singing in the Rain” so umbrellas become the group’s props. Joel can indeed “Make ‘Em Laugh” with his Donald O’Connor-like antics, though he physically looks more like Eddy Foy, Jr. Liz gets the audience to sing with her imitating Doris Day on “Que Sera, Sera.”
Representing a sexier entire ‘60s is “Mrs. Robinson,” though the ‘70s have the men acting as seriously with “Suicide is Painless” from “M*A*S*H. The women come back with a song from “Mahogany.” There’s a trio of songs from the ‘80s ending Act I, with “I’m Gonna Live Forever” from “Fame” predominant. It’s showed off via a compelling arrangement and performance by pianist Jim Prosser.
In Act II, ‘80s continue with the group, especially the women, explaining “9 to 5” as first of a trio from the decade. It ends with Michael leading a rousing “La Bamba,” especially joined in by Alexis. Then the strongest challenge to the foursome and the audience (and my favorite) comes with a “Movie Theme Medley” done entirely vocally in syllables. The music ranges from the themes of “200l” and “Jaws” to those of James Bond films.
Probably the favorites of music and lyrics from ‘90s are “A Whole New World,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “My Heart Will Go On,” each giving a chance for solos as well as group backgrounding. There’s only one tune from the ‘20s—“Remember Me,” ironically a song better known than the film “Coco” that it’s from. The finale is another “Great Movie Medley” of more recent songs, but the one really oldie — “As Time Goes By”—seems to win the most audience favor.
All of the technical contributions are so appropriate and smoothly executed that they seem to have been easily made. Director Catherine Randazzo’s expertise handling FST’s Cabaret shows, however, certainly accounts for what’s done by actors and staff. I personally love the formal black costumes, changing only for the men to white tux jackets in Act II. These costumes seem so natural in the many different “roles” played by the excellent performers.
Credit also goes to Darren Server for directing the music and Ellie Mooney for choreography. It makes the set seem much bigger and to accommodate both dance and dramatic movement.
