Yes, Yes, Beth: Beth Leavel talks about No, No, Nanette

She won a Tony Award in a show that simultaneously saluted and spoofed 1920's musicals, but this weekend, Beth Leavel, the drowsy Chaperone herself, is starring in the genuine article: a rare revival of Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach's No, No, Nanette at City Center, courtesy of Encores. This will be the first professional New York revival of the classic musical since its legendary 1971 production, and Leavel is quite aware of the responsibility that entails.

"I was doing Drowsy," Leavel recalls, "and they asked me if I'd be interested in doing No, No Nanette over at Encores." "They" were casting director Jay Binder and director Walter Bobbie, who gave Leavel the opportunity to achieve a particular dream of hers: "I have always wanted to do something at Encores, and it just never worked out," she says. "So I went in and sang, and we got to know each other, and they said, 'Okay, see you in April!'"

Rehearsals were a whirlwind for Leavel and the rest of the cast. "You have ten days to put up this huge, huge musical that, in an ideal world, would take six weeks," she says. "So, fortunately,everyone's done their homework, and the sets are already there, and Randy Skinner and his team have already done the choreography. So basically we're just working eight hours a day as fast and intensely and professionally as we can."

While she has starred in such dance-heavy musicals as Crazy for You and 42nd Street, Leavel was still impressed by Randy Skinner's choreography for No, No, Nanette. Indeed, she quips, she hasn't been able to walk right since rehearsals began. "It's a really big dance role, which I'd completely forgot about," she says. "So I'm trying to embrace my inner dancer again, 'cause I really haven't had to dance much in a while."

Encores' production isn't the first time she has been involved with No, No, Nanette. Before moving to New York, Leavel served as choreographer for her college production of the show, and choreographed other musicals. "I always considered myself singer who could move really well," she recalls, "but when I first moved to New York, I thought, 'You know what? I bet I could... I'm a dancer! Sure! I've choreographed things in college!' And I made the mistake of going to an open dance call for something. And I snuck out the back door! I was so intimidated!" she laughs. "They were dancers! I am a funny singer who moves really well. But over the years, I've had enough skills to get cast in 42nd Street and Crazy For You, and the choreographers are so patient with me, 'cause they'll teach me the dance, and if you're patient enough with me, I will learn it and do it pretty well. There's all this technical stuff I can't do-- I just am in awe of people that turn and kick their legs over their head, do all that stuff. I can't do that, but give me a tap step, and I'll work on it for ya." Still, she quips, while she may be finding her inner dancer again, she recognizes her own limitations. "I told Walter Bobbie, 'Make sure there's an EMT offstage right when I finish the dance. I may need oxygen!'"

Despite its old-fashioned nature, Leavel believes that No, No, Nanette has stood the test of time, and can still appeal to a modern audience. "Our perception is a little different," she says, "but I think we're playing it completely truthfully. The farce is already inherent in the writing. All we have to do is tell the story as truthfully as we can in the right tone." Contemporary audiences, she says, will perceive it differently from the way audiences did in the '20s, she admits, but a strong musical can appeal to anyone. "There's not a lot of drama in No No Nanette. It's just entertainment."

In a musical comedy, of course, the strongest entertainment has to come from the songs, and few musicals can match No, No, Nanette's pedigree in that respect. "There are so many fantastic production numbers!" Leavel gushes. "There's 'Tea for Two,' and 'I Want to Be Happy,' and 'Peach on the Beach,' and they're all huge dance numbers!" The company, she says, is working overtime to make the intricate musical numbers the best they can be. "It's fantastic," she says happily. "It's just a valentine... The whole experience is so sweet and joyous. Walter likes to call it a 'beautiful souffle,' and that's exactly what it is. I think it's one of the reasons I love what I do so much-- just let the audience feel that. Embrace their souffle! They leave floating just a little bit higher."

While she is happy to be involved with No, No, Nanette again, Leavel is especially excited to finally be part of an Encores production. "What really attracted me to it was the fact that it was at Encores, and that it was with Walter Bobbie and Rob Fisher and Randy Skinner," she says. "I haven't worked with Walter, and it's been a while since I worked with Randy, and I really wanted to be a part of that family. I wanted to experience the Encores team and journey. And I'm so glad I have! As in tense as it is-- and like I said, I still can't walk that well because I'm so sore-- still, I'm really glad I did it."

"I know some people who were there for the revival in 1971," she continues, "and they said it's why they became interested in musical theatre... There's this undercurrent of privilege and excitement around Encores because it's such a classic piece, and it needs to be done again, so I'm glad that I'm part of that team. I pinch myself that this is what I do for a living. I am really, really lucky."