Doug Haverty, Maxwell Oliver, Savannah Mortenson and Rob Schaumann (Photo by Doug Engalla)
Reviewed by Martίn Hernández
Group Repertory Theatre
Through April 27
“The first time I wrote a musical was also the last time.” Thus, author Ira Levin wrote in a 2005 essay about his 1965 Broadway endeavor, for which he authored the book and lyrics, with music by Milton Schafer. The original production, with Leslie Ann Warren and Elliott Gould in the lead, sadly closed after eight performances. This was Levin’s only musical, and as he continued in the essay, “I went home and set to work on a novel about a woman whose no-good actor husband allowed a coven of witches to get her impregnated by Satan.”
Sixty years later, Group Rep delivers the musical’s West Coast premiere, with a committed cast under the direction of Bruce Kimmel. Despite its history, the show proves a frivolous and mildly pleasant endeavor. Bolstered by the impressive vocal talent of the ensemble, notably from Sydney DeMaria in the lead, this campy production rises above Levin’s corny melodramatic plot and the mostly forgettable tunes.
In the late 1890s, New York City’s Gilded Age elite are being robbed by the infamous burglar, The Cat, with the ensemble humorously depicting the thief’s modus operandi in the opening number, “Drat! The Cat!”
Fulfilling their customary role, the police cater to the wealthy whiners and seek the aid of retired super detective, Roger Purefoy (Lloyd Pedersen). Alas, Purefoy is fatally ill — but before he dies, he reveals that he has a son, a lowly but ethical police officer named Bob (Alec Reusch). Roger has kept Bob’s identity a secret so that he would not get preferential treatment. But now city leaders are desperate to catch The Cat, so they put the bumbling Bob in charge of the investigation (“My Son, Uphold The Law.”)
When Bob is assigned to surveil a party being held by the millionaire Lucius Van Guilder (Pedersen) and his wife Matilda (Constance Mellors), he is smitten by the couple’s demure daughter Alice (DeMaria), who offers to assist the naïve constable (“She Touched Me”). Beset by her parents’ pressure to marry for fortune and security, Alice longs for independence and danger (“Wild and Reckless”) and may hold the key not only to Bob’s heart but to his search for The Cat as well.
The five piece live band, under musical director and pianist Gerald Sternbach, complements the play’s period setting while Cheryl Baxter keeps things animated with her comedic choreography. “Ballet: Ignoble Theft Of The Idol’s Eyes,” an overtly racist number from the original production, has been modified to make the coterie of cops look more foolish – and less lethal – courtesy of Baxter’s dance routine. A whiff of racism in the song still lingers, however, from a stereotyped prop incorporated into the number.
DeMaria reveals herself a standout soprano, with a range that embraces the brashness of “Wild and Reckless” and the tenderness of “I Like Him.” Reusch, though not on par vocally with DeMaria, still holds his own in their duets “Holmes and Watson” and “Let’s Go.”
The Group Rep, The Group Rep Theatre, 10900 Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru April 27. https://thegrouprep.com/ Running time: approximately one hour and 55 minutes with an intermission.
