Broadway by the Year: 1954

"Fun" seemed to be the overwhelming theme of Monday's Broadway by the Year concert at Town Hall. The second edition of the season focused on the Broadway Musicals of 1954, a year largely filled with lighthearted comedies. And as directed by frequent BBTY performer Scott Coulter and (mostly) choreographed by Josh Rhodes, the retrospective maintained a bright, cheerful mood that seemed the perfect way to welcome spring.

With Ross Patterson's Little Big Band recreating the classic Broadway sound in miniature, the evening began with a smart and snappy "Racing With the Clock," from The Pajama Game, performed by the largest ensemble BBTY has seen yet. Scott Siegel set the metaphorical stage, putting the evening's songs into the context of their era with some facts and figures. He also suggested what little Bobby Zimmerman's (soon to become Bob Dylan) 1954 bar mitzvah might have sounded like. I'll leave you to imagine how Dylan chanting in Hebrew must have sounded for a moment.

And we're back. Emily Skinner, Paul Schoeffler and Natalie Belcon sang a cute but surprisingly unwitty "You've Got to be a Little Crazy" from The Girl in Pink Tights, the only number from that show for the evening. (The other shows had a higher cuteness-to-wit ratio.)  Gypsy legend Harvey Evans and Debbie Shapiro Gravitte sang a very cute "Never Too Late to Fall in Love" from The Boy Friend, Mr. Evans' first dance number of the evening. Ms. Skinner returned to sing a sassy and cute "I'd Rather Wake Up by Myself" from By the Beautiful Sea.

And just before the cuteness became overwhelming (three songs in a row!), Ms. Belcon returned to sing a terrifically brassy "One Man Ain't Quite Enough" from House of Flowers, and did Pearl Bailey proud. Director Scott Coulter sang a gentle and lovely "When I Went Home," which was cut from Peter Pan before its Broadway bow. Mark Price and Emily Skinner brought back the cuteness factor with "I'll Never Be Jealous Again" from The Pajama Game, and The Little Mermaid's Sierra Boggess sang a rich and lovely "Windflowers" from The Golden Apple.

Mr. Schoeffler, who starred alongside Cathy Rigby in the 1998 revival of Peter Pan, returned with several members of the ensemble—all dressed up as pirates—to sing a deliciously campy and silly "Captain Hook's Waltz." Quite appropriately for Capt. Hook, upon hearing the laughter his getup generated, grumbled "Oh, grow up!" at the audience. Cyril Ritchard would have been pleased. Ms. Gravitte mellowed the mood with a sensual and fresh take on the classic "Lazy Afternoon" from The Golden Apple.

Xanadu star Cheyenne Jackson, who was the frontrunner to replace Harry Connick, Jr. in the revival of Pajama Game had it extended, sang a "Hey There" that simply could not have been better. Rich, tender, emotional and powerful, it may well have been the best rendition of the song yet. Ending the act on a double-whammy high-note, Mark Price and Junie B. Jones star Jen Cody sang and danced a bright and energetic "Won't You Charleston With Me?" from The Boy Friend. This would have been impressive enough on its own, but as Scott Siegel revealed just before the performance, both had recently suffered leg injuries in their respective shows. Had he said nothing, nobody would have known: Mr. Rhodes' choreography looked spot-on and flawless, and the two dancers never held back. And that's star quality, kids.

Natalie Belcon and young Kendrick Jones (who has to skip some BBTY rehearsals because he's still in school) opened Act II with a fierce "Slide, Boy, Slide" from House of Flowers. Mr. Jones may well be the heir apparent to Savion Glover, as his choreography for the number was as dazzling as its execution.

Jen Cody, who can power a theatre's light and sound boards with her energy alone, conjured Junie B. Jones with an unamplified "The Lottie Gibson Specialty" from By the Beautiful Sea. The song, which imagines a child imagining the horrors of a new baby brother, was twistedly hilarious, and showed off Ms. Cody's comic skills and voice to their fullest. Shrek will be lucky to have her as a cast member, though having Ms. Cody in the ensemble is rather like having Cassie go back to the chorus line: it's great to have her back on Broadway, but she deserves a starring role.

Two songs from Fanny, David Merrick's first Broadway musical venture, followed: the title song, performed rather stiffly by Sean Palmer, who at least got to demonstrate his very strong voice without a microphone, and "I Have to Tell You," performed by Emily Skinner. The second number was surprisingly short, but Ms. Skinner made it very powerful and intense. Harvey Evans returned with Bert Michaels and Don Percassie (all three of a certain age) to sing an utterly charming and surprisingly un-ironic "I Won't Grow Up" that included some very bright dancing from all three gentlemen.

Ms. Cody and Mark Price reunited for a white-hot "Hernando's Hideaway" that, once again, blasted any other rendition out of the water. (And, remember, they were both dancing on injured legs. It was pretty easy to forget.) Mr. Price has a bright, vibrant intensity to his dancing, and no one has combined sweet with sexy like Jen Cody since Betty Boop.

Scott Coulter followed that showstopper with a jazzy and (pun intended) soaring "I'm Flying" from Peter Pan. Stripped of its context, the song became a metaphor for joy itself, and was simply delightful. Calming the mood after the three upbeat numbers, Natalie Belcon returned to sing a gentle and lovely "A Sleepin' Bee" from House of Flowers.

But the mellow only lasted for one number, as BBTY favorite Noah Racey and Melinda Sullivan exploded onto the stage to dance a "Steam Heat" that would have impressed even Bob Fosse. Wearing white t-shirts, tuxedo vests, loose slacks and sneakers, the pair performed some old-fashioned hoofin' that simply burned up the stage. (Again, pun intended.) The recent increase in dance numbers at Broadway by the Year is really delightful, and goes even further to recreate the feel of the Golden Age. Here's hoping it continues.

"I'm so honored to follow that number," Debbie Gravitte said dryly as she strode onto the stage after the dance ended. Fortunately, her "I'm Not At All in Love" was smart and sassy, and if it isn't a standard in her cabaret act already, it should be. Cheyenne Jackson and Sierra Boggess—barefoot and hair-mussed—sang an intense, energetic and very hot "There Once Was a Man," maintaining eye-contact throughout and hitting some stratospheric notes together. Is it too soon for another Pajama Game revival?

After three uptempo Pajama Game numbers in a row, Emily Skinner sang a lovely "Distant Melody" from Peter Pan sans microphone, and backed (somewhat distractingly) by Sean Palmer, Mark Price and Paul Schoeffler. The evening was brought to an end with a gorgeous "Never Never Land," performed by the whole company in shiver-inducing choral harmony. 

We're halfway through the Broadway by the Year season, and so far, it looks to be the best yet. The ever-increasing casts give a wide range of talents that suit many different kinds of songs, and the new interpretations of classic numbers are always exciting and interesting. The next edition, focusing on the musicals of 1965, will feature songs from such disparate shows as Flora the Red Menace, Man of La Mancha, and I Do, I Do! See you May 12.

Photo Credits Genevieve Rafter Keddy