Review: Where's Charley? at Boca's Caldwell Theatre

Dear Reader, due to Hurricane Wilma, today I present to you a "guest review" by Paul Gallotta, formerly of Fort Lauderdale's Sun-Sentinel CityLink.

This is a review of the Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed....., The Most Happy Fella) musical Where's Charley?  Where's Charley?'s Broadway run is most remembered for star Ray Bolger's (The Wizard of Oz's Strawman/Scarecrow) repeated choruses and audience sing a longs of the show's hit song, Once In Love With Amy.  This production opened Friday night, November 11 at the Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton and plays though December 18. 

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  Josh Grisetti as Charley in WHERE'S CHARLEY?-SIGVISION PHOTOGRAPHY INC.

Whether or not the Caldwell Theatre's production of "Where's Charley?" is brilliant or bloated depends on which side of the Musical Theatre continuum you reside. If you are from the era where a musical rose and fell on the merits of its score, you can't miss with this charming and energetic production. If however, you are from the school of thought that places an equal value on spectacle and plot, "Where's Charley?" becomes somewhat problematic.

It's not so much that the plot hasn't aged gracefully—despite its being nearly 60 years old. But the concept of heterosexual men dressing up like women for comedic effect has been mined so many times since "Where's Charley?" debuted in 1948, this Victorian-era farce lost most of its teeth. What was once outrageous becomes fairly tame.

The music is never in question; Frank Loesser's lilting and contagious score can be performed as a musical revue and would still be utterly captivating. With this cast, numbers like "Pernambuco", "My Darling, My Darling" and the old standard sing along "Once in Love with Amy" practically set off the Caldwell's sprinkler system.

But George Abbott's book shows the infirmities that come with age. Primarily because so many people have "borrowed" from it, contemporary audiences will find it gnawingly familiar. From "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" through "Mrs. Doubtfire" "Where's Charlie?" becomes a tuneful case of déjà vu.

The setting is Oxford University, in England, 1892. Charley Wykeham (Josh Grisetti) and Jack Chesney (Bruce Linser) are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their sweethearts Amy (Irene Adjan) and Kitty (Lauren Shealy). Unfortunately, their chaperone, Charley's widowed millionaire aunt (Lourelene Snedeker) is arriving from Brazil ("where the nuts come from") on a later train, and it wouldn't do for the ladies to remain without a proper escort. As fate would have it, Charley's costume for a school production—a Victorian era frock and wig—happens to arrive just in time to save the day.

At this point Helen Keller would be able to figure out where this pony is heading.

Further complications arise when Mr. Spettigue (John Felix), the girls' curmudgeonly guardian and Jack's father, Sir Francis Chesney (Dennis Creaghan) both arrive and hope to marry "Charley's aunt" for her money.

Thanks to some impeccable comedic timing, powerful voices and surprisingly deft choreography (courtesy of Barbara Flaten), the ravages of time don't totally neuter the plot. No one in the audience will look at their watch while the cast—particularly Grisetti, Adjan, Shealy, Felix and Linser are going through their paces.

But when it comes to exposition, Hall's direction by necessity downshifts and the play's rhythm grinds to a halt. This factor is salvaged somewhat by the physical schtick perpetrated by Felix and Grisetti—both of whom could have charged separate admission for their mutual chemistry. But they can only mambo and chase each other around the stage for so long.

The Caldwell's production of "Where's Charley?" has flashes of brilliance broken up by extended periods of a plot that never quite gets out of first gear. If you are going to hear the Loesser score, you'll leave humming with a smile. Susan Stockwewll's costuming is almost as eye-catching as the cast itself. But if you are the kind of person who was raised on classical Broadway musicals served up as a revue with a plot as an after thought, you'll spend a significant amount of time wondering how this "Charley" would play if they lopped off an hour.

Caldwell Theatre
7873 N. Federal Highway (Levitz Plaza)
Boca Raton, FL 33487
(561) 241-7432

WWW.CALDWELLTHEATRE.COM  

Where's Charley

Based on Brandon Thomas' Charley's Aunt

Book by George Abbot

Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser

Director, Michael Hall

Scenic Designer, Tim Bennett

Scenic Artist, Cindi Taylor

Choreographer, Barbara Flaten

Lighting Designer, Kirk Bookman

Sound Designer, Steve Shapiro

Musical Director, Kevin Wallace

Costume Designer, Susan Stowell

Stage Manager, Jeffry George [writer's note: spelling is correct]

CAST

Brassett, Terrell Hardcastle

Jack Chesney, Bruce Linser

Charley Wykeham, Josh Grisetti

Kitty Verdun, Lauren Shealy

Amy Spettigue, Irene Adjan

Sir Francis Chesney, Dennis Creaghan

Mr. Spettigue, John Felix

Donna Lucia D'Alvadorez, Lurelene Snedeker

Chorus, Sarah Amengual, Emily Clark, Chris Gleim, Joe Kokofsky

THE BAND

Keyboard, Kevin Wallace

Percussion, Warren Hanrahan/Julie Jacobs

Bass, Rupert Ziawinski

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