Broadway Blogs - Scandalous People: a Sizzling Jazzical and More...

The program notes for Scandalous People: a Sizzling Jazzical, advise us that Myla Churchill (book & lyrics) and Benny Russell's (music) new musical concerns Dewey Demarkov, a fictional black entertainer in pre-Depression Harlem who earned his song and dance chops playing demeaning stereotypes (sometimes in blackface) in white-run vaudeville houses and minstrel shows.  As uptown Manhattan developed into a cultural center, Dewey formed an act with his future wife, Desiree Malinda, that evoked the kind of self-respecting class and sophistication the entertainers of the Harlem Renaissance became famous for.  His innovative style made his speakeasy shows at The Do Drop Inn a top attraction.

Unfortunately, for most of the evening the authors have buried this promising premise in what comes off as an attempt to introduce every possible aspect of the era.  There's a pre-Hollywood Mae West (Jennifer Swideski) who's desire to be included in the show brings up the issue of the illegality of a mixed race performance.  A not-yet-famous Duke Ellington (Tommy James) is the house pianist, debating his desire to advance artistically with his need to appeal to the masses.  Bronx racketeer Dutch wants to finance moving the show to Broadway, but on his own artistic terms.  Infidelity, graft, sexual harassment, unrequited love and plenty of other issues enter the mix, crowding the two hour production with too many characters singing too many songs and taking up too much time on stage that could be better used telling the story of the two major players.

This is especially a shame because EuGene Fleming's Dewey has the potential to be a powerhouse performance.  He's a slick, understated and highly-engaging song-and-dance comic who is a tough, exacting perfectionist off-stage; never willing to compromise his own artistic vision.  The scene where what should have been his big break is undermined could have been a heartbreaking, tragic moment if the authors had clearly presented the story of his past earlier in act one.  Likewise, though Nicole Hill's performance as Dewey's wife, Desiree, displays ample pipes and solid presence, her underwritten role comes dangerously close to resembling just another long-suffering wife, a little too willing to forgive.

Fredi Walker-Browne's crisp direction keeps the antics bubbling, as does Obediah Wright's period choreography; especially routines for the beautiful line of chorines known as the Do Dropettes.  Lisa McFadden's excellent costumes add to the character-driven authenticity.

Russell and Churchill's score is at its best during performance numbers that closely resemble the most famous compositions of the era and Tommy James' arrangements offer a much fuller sound than you'd expect from the 9-piece on-stage orchestra.

With some ruthless cutting and sensitive reconstruction, Scandalous People has the potential to be a winner.  For now, there's some solid entertainment divided by stretches that seEm Longer than a 2am wait for the A Train.

"It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous."

-- Robert Benchley

The grosses are out for the week ending 8/30/2009 and we've got them all right here in BroadwayWorld.com's grosses section.

Up for the week was: JERSEY BOYS (0.1%),

Down for the week was: SHREK THE MUSICAL (-9.1%), CHICAGO (-7.5%), THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (-7.2%), MARY POPPINS (-7.2%), SOUTH PACIFIC (-7.0%), WEST SIDE STORY (-6.5%), IN THE HEIGHTS (-5.9%), NEXT TO NORMAL (-5.4%), THE 39 STEPS (-5.2%), THE LION KING (-4.7%), ROCK OF AGES (-3.0%), BURN THE FLOOR (-2.5%), 9 TO 5 (-1.4%), MAMMA MIA! (-1.1%), AVENUE Q (-0.5%), HAIR (-0.4%), THE LITTLE MERMAID (-0.2%),