Review: COCKEYED OPTIMIST Celebrates Hammerstein at 92NY

Bravo to the concert series Lyrics & Lyricists at 92NY for the program focused on one of the giants – Oscar Hammerstein II – for trying something new in the structure of this program that began way back in 1970.  And another bravo for how well it worked!  The long-established mission and method — mixing performances of songs with information to foster a deeper appreciation for the history and craft of songwriting – has typically resulted in offerings that are somewhat reverent and formal (but fond).  October’s show was more fun (and still fond, for sure), largely because of the delightful innovation of having the hosting/narration done by a cheeky, chatty cheerleader for the material who happened to be a fabulous fictional character — one with attitude and a wink. The original setup, back in the day, gave audiences presentations featuring the presence of Broadway’s major musical theatre lyricists themselves telling the stories behind the songs and musicals, perhaps singing and/or playing piano.  Of course, many of the major figures have passed away in the 50-plus years since the series began.  A logical next-best-thing plan was to have a host with a notable connection to the writer and/or established expertise.  (L&L  also broadened the scope of salutes to include latter-day musical theatre and other themes and genres.)  

The “fictional character” host I refer to is not one from a Hammerstein musical.  Our tour guide was borrowed from another one: a recreation of the distinctive, gushing, oh-so-opinionated musical theatre maven so well remembered from the show The Drowsy Chaperone, called Man In Chair. The part was played by actor Patrick Breen in the two weekend performances, but I caught the closing night on Monday, October 28 when the persnickety plum role was taken by Dick Scanlan, the program’s inventive director who co-wrote the terrific script with Malcolm Gets. The characterization was spot on; audible response from the crowd indicated instant recognition by many — and affection.  After all, they (we) are kindred spirits, the target audience for a feast of old-school Broadway — not dissimilar to the guy settled back in the big, comfy seat  who leaned in to make comments or retrieve a relevant book from the pile on a low nearby shelf.  Amusingly, he pooh-poohed what he considers the not-so-great Great White Way recent fare that turns disappointing mainstream movies into disappointing musicals, mocked some liberties taken in adapting source material, and chastised a singer for wrongly referring to an Original Broadway Cast album as a “soundtrack” (the word for the recording of a movie’s music).  But via this hilariously snarky, pontificating persona, the sedentary master of ceremonies packed in plenty of facts and observations that could otherwise come off as a dry recitation of info that is, to some, old news about old favorite, famous fare. The comedy bit never got old.

The five singers were all strong and effective, and another break from tradition allowed us to get to know them more personally.  When they spoke, their words were not just restricted to narration about what Hammerstein achieved or how his material was conceived or received by critics. They talked about their own connections – being exposed to the songs while growing up or being cast in Hammerstein shows. 

The most successful, more often revived shows that were collaborations with composer Richard Rodgers got major attention — Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Flower Drum Song, and The Sound of Music, as well as the scores for Pipe Dream and Cinderella (first written for TV).  Although Oscar Hammerstein also contributed words to many projects – musicals and operettas – for a quarter of a century before 1943’s Oklahoma!, only two non-Rodgers scores were sampled. These presented all three women showing their impressive soprano voices with “Dat’s Love,” the one number offered from Carmen Jones, using the music from the opera Carmen and some showy Show Boat pleasures.  That formidable 1927 entry, the most celebrated of the stage and film productions with Jerome Kern’s music, was represented by a few abbreviated renditions of its rich treasures and a solo by Eddie Cooper, bringing due dignity to the grand “Ol’ Man River.” 

Other highlights included: Omar Lopez-Cepero with the fully inhabited “Soliloquy” facing impending fatherhood; Katie Mariko Murray with a searing but wise take on the cautionary “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught,” the prejudice primer; Kerstin Anderson’s warm and poignant “Hello, Young Lovers”; and Mikaela Bennett’s mix of wistfulness and resignation for “What’s the Use of Wond’rin’?” There were numerous duets and trios, some with songs having similar functions or styles combined in medleys, a couple of same-sex couple moments and a gender reversal (“Stepsisters’ Lament” essayed gamely by the two men, griping and snapping fans).     

The evening, titled “Cockeyed Optimist: How Oscar Hammerstein Found His Hope,” had five numbers from South Pacific, including –guess what … Well, you probably guessed wrong. “A Cockeyed Optimist” was not one of them!  And what about that found hope?  The concert found nobody singing the lyric that encourages us to “walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart…” (“You’ll Never Walk Alone,” from Carousel).  But his words often are brimming with optimism and hope, as well as romance, humanity, and humor.     

The excellent quintet of musicians included pianist/arranger/orchestrator/music director Joey Chancey, who chimed in as a singer a couple of times, as did our host, at the end — both to fine effect. The accompaniment was alternately gorgeous and lively, with a splendid balance between the iconic, memorable figures and fresh ideas.  Full-size stage projections added to the atmosphere, with a design of a wall of shelves containing the ultimate collector’s books, albums, and ever-changing theatre posters to match the song at hand.  It was pure pleasure — too good not to have an afterlife, to go on tour, in the tradition of any single audience-pleasing musical featuring the optimum optimism of Oscar Hammerstein. 

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Photos by Richard Termine. 

See www.92y.org for other offerings, musical and otherwise.

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