sisal cat scratch posts

Originally opening on Broadway in September of 1938 at the Winter Garden Theatre, it ran for only 78 performances.  The show had a cast of 47 actors, had two acts with a total of 11 scenes, and 14 musical numbers.  The current adaptation has been reduced to a cast of six, three acts with no independent scenes, and 18 musical numbers.  The new adaptation doesn't help the show. 

Best described as a piece of fluff, the show suffers, rather than is helped by, the changes made by Mr. Lazarus, especially the musical numbers.  Adding "Let's Misbehave" from Anything Goes gives the audience a song they may have heard before, but one of the musical numbers that had been cut from the original production ("I'm Back in Circulation") has also been added back in.   That did nothing to further the action.  This is but one example of the many problems with this musical. 

The cast tries valiantly to overcome the difficulties with the writing and re-arrangement of the story.  It's not easy to try and produce, or should I say reduce, a full size show that isn't full size anymore.  Imagine a scaled down version of Fiddler on the Roof without the entire town of Anatevka... well, you get the idea.

This production, directed by Scarlett Black, would have worked better had there not been bits of schtick and un-needed comedy bits added.  Among them were episodes with the piano "playing" incorrectly, takes to the audience, and almost a couple of episodes of slapstick.  If anything, a Cole Porter show should have class about it, even if it isn't one of his best efforts.  Interestingly it would have worked better had it been played straight and allowed the circumstances of the plot to have created the comedy, rather than the actors trying to make it happen.  Because of this the audience was laughing at the actors rather than at the action.  This is an example of community theatre at its worst.

The company consisted of Mike Dunavan (the womanizing Baron Rommer), Michael Singleton (his butler/valet Gaston), DeEtta Jennings (Ida, a member of the follies), Cindy King (Madame Baltin), George T. Davis III (Herr Baltin), and Juliet Hutchens (Maria, maid to Madame Baltin).

For a musical one needs to be able to sing.

The show is set in Paris of 1929, at the Ritz Hotel.  This is the upper crust of society, the titled and noble.  To have Herr Baltin portrayed as someone from an under class position (by language and deportment) cheapened his character.  To see the role of Ida being played as little more than a "gold digger" doesn't give us an honest portrait of Paris and how they accepted persons of color in their entertainment industry.  Two examples of mistakes in character choices, if the director didn't have them play the roles in this way then the director should have fixed it.

And speaking of direction... having the characters constantly break the "fourth wall" and speak and sing directly to the audience in this production was incorrect as well.  There seemed to be almost constant movement with each musical selection, and it became quite distracting to watch the actors scurrying about the stage trying to get all the motions into their songs, resulting in their being out of breath on more than one occasion.  In looking at the program I don't see any mention of a choreographer, which means all the wandering was a choice made by either actor or director.  Another mistake that should have been caught and fixed.  There nothing wrong with staying in one place and just singing a song.  Especially a song that should be an internal monologue, not a big production number.

Surprisingly this is a very forget-able Cole Porter show but even so it is worthy of what Cole Porter musicals represent, a time when men were aspiring to being a "gentleman," and women a "lady."  What we've seen with You Never Know is just the opposite.  I wish I'd never known.