"Show Boat" Just Keeps Rolling Along

Show Boat

Music by Jerome Kern; book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; based on the novel "Show Boat" by Edna Ferber and the Harold Prince version of "Show Boat" produced on Broadway in 1994 by Livent (U.S.) Inc., choreographed by Susan Stroman and directed by Harold Prince; director, Glenn Casale; choreographer, Ron Gibbs; musical director, Brian Cimmet; scenic design, Evan A. Bartoletti; costumes, Florence Klotz; lighting design, martin E. Vreeland; sound design, John A. Stone; wig and hair design, Gerard Kelly

Cast in order of appearance:

Steve Baker, Edwin Cahill; Queenie, Sharon Wilkins; Pete, Drunk, Jet Thomason; Parthy Ann Hawks, Audrie Neenan; Windy, James Coyle; Cap'n Andy, Gordon Stanley; Ellie May Chipley, Melinda Cowan; Frank Schultz, Jim Walton; Julie LaVerne, Terry Burrell; Gaylord Ravenal, Ron Bohmer; Sherriff Vallon, Backwoodsman, Jim Greene, Ron Wisniski; Magnolia Hawks, Teri Dale Hansen; Joe, Phillip Boykin; Jeb, John B. Williford; Kim (as child), Kara Doherty; Ethel, Old Lady on the Levee, Allison Blackwell; Landlady, Lottie, Sheri Adams; Jake, James Jackson, Jr.; Charlie, Will Mann; Dottie, Natalie Wisdom; Kim (as adult), Erica Sweany

Performances: "Show Boat" through October 12; "42^nd Street" runs October 28 - November 23; North Shore Music Theatre, 62 Dunham Rd., Beverly, Mass.
Box Office: 978-232-7200 or www.nsmt.org

The sudden romantic plot twists and leaping time spans in the 80-year-old classic Show Boat may seem contrived and melodramatic by today's standards. But its beautifully integrated score and groundbreaking interracial subject matter make it a landmark of American musical theater that still stands among the best ever staged.

The North Shore Music Theatre's current production of the 1994 Hal Prince Broadway revival lends credence to the timelessness of the material. A darker, grittier version than the romantic treatment typically seen, this Show Boat puts the message of endurance front and center. Despite broken hearts, dashed dreams, institutionalized racism and imperfect pairings, that "Ol' Man River" just keeps rolling along.

Phillip Boykin as Joe is the perfect deep voiced commentator whose several reprises of that signature spiritual punctuate this 40-year tale. Moving from the 1880s aboard the Cotton Blossom river boat that paddles its way up and down the Mississippi to the Jazz Age streets and clubs of Chicago, Show Boat sets the lives and loves of Cap'n Andy's real and theatrical families against the backdrop of post Civil War social and cultural change.

The young Magnolia (Noli) Hawks, daughter of Cap'n Andy and his chronically surly wife Parthy Ann, aspires to the "Life upon the Wicked Stage" that her actor friends Ellie, Frank, and most especially Julie enjoy. Her father/director is a gentle mentor in support of that goal, but her mother won't hear of it. Only when Julie and her husband Steve leave the Cotton Blossom in haste - accused of breaking the law against interracial marriage when it is discovered that Julie has been "passing" for white despite being half black - does Noli get her chance. As luck would have it, the dashing riverboat gambler Gaylord Ravenal who seeks passage on the Cotton Blossom is a natural born actor, and when he and Noli act out their love scenes on stage, there's more truth than fiction to their parts.

Broadway actor Ron Bohmer is a ravishing Ravenal - charming, sexy, rakish yet sincere. When he sings in his rich, soaring bari-tenor mix, Magnolia (the winsome and lovely voiced Teri Dale Hansen) isn't the only woman who swoons. Their duets "Only Make Believe," "I Have the Room above Her," "You Are Love," and "Why Do I Love You?" are romantically transporting. Their mutual adoration is delightfully free of guile. When the plot has Ravenal suddenly abandoning Magnolia and their daughter Kim because of his gambling debts, Bohmer shows Ravenal's heartbreak at doing what he feels is best for his family. His reprise of "Make Believe" sung this time to Kim is tear-inducing. His pain is even more evident than Magnolia's when she reluctantly confesses her plight to old song-and-dance friends Ellie and Frank, who just happen to be in Chicago, as well.

Now married and working in a nightclub, the couple help Noli get hired as a singer. The twist is, Julie works there, too, but she has become unreliable. Abandoned by her husband, as well, Julie is now a drunk who is late for rehearsal and misses performances. Seeing the girl she loved like a little sister in such a desperate situation, she once again sacrifices herself to give Noli a place on the stage.

Though Julie appears only briefly in each act, it is her story that exposes the harsh realities of turn-of-the-century America. When thought to be white, her life was joyous and successful. Her counsel was often sought, and her talents were respected. Her early song "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" performed with Queenie, Joe and the company as a fun-loving lesson to Magnolia is a reflection of her revered position. Once her secret is revealed, however, she becomes a social pariah, a woman alone of mixed race with few options and even less status. Her heart-wrenching second act torch song, "Bill," is as much about her loss of place and dignity as it is about her loss of love. It chronicles the depths of despair to which a once esteemed and vibrant young woman has fallen since her hopes and dreams were shattered by a single act of hate.

As Julie, Terry Burrell captures the essence of both sides of her character, but her climactic scene in which she gives up her last chance in order to let Magnolia flourish seems rushed somehow. The dramatic turn of events on board the Cotton Blossom when her heritage is made known also loses much of its impact because Burrell is quite obviously black. The shock of her shipmates rings false, and their defense of her is too quick and unmeasured.

Much of the pace that director Glenn Casale sets for this Show Boat, in fact, is cursory. Scenes move swiftly and smoothly, thanks to the excellent set and lighting designs by Evan A. Bartoletti and Martin E. Vreeland. Choreography, too, is fluid and dynamic, adapted beautifully for the round by Ron Gibbs from Susan Stroman's Tony Award-winning 1994 revival staging. In particular, the year-by-year transitions from 1900-1921 are very cleverly handled via a street newspaper vendor showing pertinent headlines while the company parades across in gradually more modern costumes as Joe poignantly sings "Ol' Man River." Too often in the book scenes, though, there is a sense that nuance is being sacrificed for speed. The show is a long one, clocking in at nearly three hours. But lingering just a little longer in places to create a more dramatic impact would be a welcomed trade off.

There is a boat load of talent in this NSMT production of Show Boat, from Bohmer, Hansen, Burrell and Boykin right down to the youngest members of the ensemble. Sharon Wilkins is a delightful and empathetic Queenie whose good-natured teasing adds a sexy spark to "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," but whose world-weary wisdom also adds a deep foreboding to "Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun'." Gordon Stanley is the perfectly henpecked and doting Cap'n Andy, while Audrie Neenan as his abrasive wife Parthy balances real maternal protectiveness and affection beneath the pragmatist's crust. Melinda Cowan as Ellie and Jim Walton as Frank inject great comic shtick into their song-and-dance routines, and the entire cast shines in the many production numbers.

A 12-piece orchestra under the direction of Brian Cimmet provides lush underscoring and seamless transitions throughout. Musicians move from Victorian music hall to blues to spirituals to waltzes and the Charleston with finesse. Costumes by Florence Klotz span the decades from sumptuous bustles to sheer flapper gowns. Her eye for detail from the piping on a dandy's jacket to the simple earth tone prints of a peasant dress delineate character, status and class while painting a breathtaking historical tableau.

It's hard to believe that a show that touches so powerfully on issues still making headlines in this election year was written before the Great Depression. The relevance of Show Boat even today is a testament to its beauty and brilliance.

PHOTOS BY PAUL LYDEN: Phillip Boykin as Joe; Teri Dale Hansen as Magnolia and Ron Bohmer as Ravenal; Terry Burrell as Julie; Sharon Wilkins as Queenie with Phillip Boykin; Gordon Stanley as Cap'n Andy and Audrie Neenan as Parthy

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