BWW Reviews: The World Premiere of FOR THE BOYS Is Good. Could It Be Better?

The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois, north of Chicago, has an enormous subscription base, deep pockets, a talented and experienced in-house design team and a film property to adapt that touches on a number of important, stage-worthy themes (military patriotism, family, nostalgia, a timely re-visit to accusations of communism in America, parenthood, mid-century entertainment history and censorship, both military and network). And the show's lawyers have acquired the rights to a Hit Parade of jukebox-musical-worthy tunes. But is that enough to make a new stage musical out of the 1991 film "For The Boys"? That's the Bette Midler musical vehicle (also starring James Caan, and co-written by Marshall Brickman, of "Jersey Boys") that is chiefly remembered today for some interesting makeup choices and for Midler's rendition of Betty Hutton's hot-hot-hot "Stuff Like That There." Answer--it might be enough. The show is good, but I think it could be even better. I hope that it continues to develop.

Lead Artistic Director at the Marriott, and now the author of the book of this world premiere adaptation, is Aaron Thielen. He heads the artistic team of "For The Boys," with direction and choreography by the extremely capable Marc Robin, music direction by Dr. Ryan Nelson, and orchestrations by David Siegel (also responsible for those at this summer's production of "Aladdin" at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle and for three previous original musicals at the Marriott, "Windy City," "The All Night Strut" and "Bowery Boys"). Solid but unremarkable set designs by Thomas M. Ryan, costume designs by Nancy Missimi, lighting designs by Diane Ferry Williams and sound design by Robert E. Gilmartin all take second place here to some really top-notch (I mean Broadway quality) projections designed by Sage Marie Carter. Sally Weiss supplied the properties design, and, as always, Patti Garwood conducts the Marriott Theatre Orchestra. 

So, going in to the evening, the theatergoer knows that everything's going to be professional. I should say at this point that I have never seen the movie, and chose to not seek it out prior to seeing the stage show, as I wanted to view it "pure," as it were, evaluating it as much as possible on what I saw and heard and felt while in the magical square of the Marriott's "in-the-round" space. What did I experience? 

It's definitely worth doing, worth adapting and worth attending. The story of big band and club singer Mrs. Dixie Leonard and her USO shows during World War II, Korea and Vietman with headliner and comedian Eddie Sparks revisits a golden and yet troubled time for America, with wars to fight, songs to sing, boys to lose to complex overseas conflicts, and interpersonal relationships in the workplace growing ever complicated. Thielen and company decided to use only real period songs, with only one exception, I think (Marc Shaiman's instrumental "Dixie's Dream," written for the film). Further, all the songs are "real" songs, that is, the characters know they are singing at all times, and never use songs to replace dialogue in the Rodgers and Hammerstein sense of what that means to an American stage musical. 

This is a defendable artistic choice, but the songs are lopsided, with most of them in the first act and long stretches in the second act with no singing at all. Also, for whatever reason, we don't really see many soldiers in the first act, and no wartime civilians, but see quite a lot of both in the second act. The first act plays like an underpopulated intimate backstage musical (albeit with very loud recordings of military audiences, with a somewhat distancing effect for the Lincolnshire audience) and the second act plays like, well, a play, with video montages, some musical interludes and a few well-chosen songs at times. (I'm including a song list at the end of this review, noting that five are by Johnny Mercer and three are by Frank Loesser.) 

As Dixie, Broadway's Michele Ragusa is certainly a star playing a star, with a great voice and a sympathetic, multi-layered story arc. The only problem I had with her performance was that I didn't quite believe that the bawdy jokes she tells (a natural for Bette Midler's persona, but a little forced from Ragusa). But as an amalgam of Betty Hutton, Betty Grable and Gracie Allen, she's great. As Eddie, sort of a meaner Bob Hope with a little George Burns thrown in, Broadway's Timothy Gulan started slow for me, playing to the floor and letting Ragusa shine, to his detriment. He grew on me, and I bought them as show business equals and romantic maybes by the end. 

As a sort of Betty Comden and Adolph Green, or a Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam act (out of "The Dick Van Dyke Show"), Chicago's Anne Gunn and (especially) Michael Weber were spot on and winning. Among the well-drilled cast, solid character support came from Michael Aaron Lindner as a producer, Bernie Yvon as an Artie Shaw/Jimmy Dorsey bandleader, Johanna McKenzie Miller as a combination of Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper, and Jameson Cooper as the grown-up version of Dixie's son, Danny. (As Danny's younger selves, Johnny Rabe and Zachary Keller were very good, and the ways in which director Robin showed Danny growing up were among the several "coup de theatre"s of the evening. Two more of my favorite moments showed surprise usage of flashlights!) 

On the other hand, two-time Jeff Award-winning performer Summer Naomi Smart was entirely wasted as Eddie's wife, Margaret, given almost nothing to do, and there were times (again in the first act) when I wondered where the dancing ensemble of women were, given that those poor soldier boys in those legendary USO audiences probably wondered it even more than I did. 

I'm worried that the time for this musical may have passed. I mean, my parents (who are turning 80 and 82 this year) would love it, only they're, well, 80 and 82. Active seniors will no doubt love this show. And many who have the military in their family blood, especially those who may have lost troops in combat or lost veterans here at home, will be among the ones I heard audibly sobbing during the last twenty minutes of this show last Sunday evening. But the pace is somewhat subdued, and the "wow" factor is somewhat remote, most of the time. Perhaps those things can be fixed in subsequent productions, if not here. I was genuinely moved in the second act, and admirably nostalgic and tapping my toes in the first act. There are several very neat moments. But I think the creators of this show can do better, and I hope they do. 

The spectacle and the universality of the material could be heightened, to good effect, I think. It's showbiz in wartime, with mothers and sons and surrogate fathers all about. Give us a clearer sense of the motivating forces behind their life choices. Give us something to write home about. All those who made up "the greatest generation," and those who grew up in their shadow, deserve better. 

The world premiere of "For The Boys: The Musical" by Aaron Thielen runs at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois, now through October 16, 2011. The performance runs two and a half hours. The performance schedule is Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00pm, Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1:00pm and 5:00 p.m. Ticket prices range from $41 to $49, plus tax and handling fees.  Seniors and students receive $5.00 off a full price theatre ticket on Wednesday 1:00pm, Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sundays at 1:00pm and 5:00pm. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings a limited number of dinner and theatre tickets are available for only $55.00 per person plus handling fees. Dinner is at King's Wharf Restaurant or the Fairfield Inn (based on dining availability). Free parking is available at all performances.  To purchase tickets with a major credit card, call the Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or www.Ticketmaster.com. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.  

Photo Credit:  Peter Coombs and the Marriott Theatre   

Photos (top to bottom): Michele Ragusa and Timothy Gulan; Michele Ragusa; Michele Ragusa;  Zachary Keller and Timothy Gulan    

Song List: 

"Billy-A-Dick" (Paul Francis Webster/Hoagy Carmichael)

"You Are My Sunshine" (Jimmie Davis)

"GI Jive" (Johnny Mercer)

"Stuff Like That There" (Raymond E. Evans/Jay Livingston)

"P.S. I Love You" (Gordon Jenkins/Johnny Mercer)

"Stuff Like That There" (reprise)

"I Remember You" (Johnny Mercer/Victor Schertzinger)

"I Wish You Love" (Charles Trenet)

"There'll Be A Hot Time In The Town Of Berlin" (Joe Bushkin/John DeVries)

"What Will Santa Claus Say?" (Louis Prima)

"Come Rain Or Come Shine" (Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen)

"America The Beautiful" (Katharine Lee Bates/Samuel A. Ward)

"I Thought About You" (Johnny Mercer/Jimmy Van Heusen)

"Rag Mop" (Deacon Anderson/Johnny Lee Wills)

"That's Loyalty" (Frank Loesser)

"I Remember You" (reprise)

"Christmas Island" (Lyle L. Moraine)

"Botch-A-Me" (Eddie Y. Stanley/R. Morbelli/L. Astore)

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" (Frank Loesser)

"A Christmas Love Song" (Johnny Mandel/Marilyn Bergman/Alan Bergman)

"What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" (Frank Loesser)

"West Point March" (Philip Egner/Alfred Parkham)

"What A Wonderful World" (Robert Thiele/George David Weiss)

"I Remember You" (reprise)