Review: ON THE 20TH CENTURY at Blank Theatre

According to Blank Theatre’s press release, the 1978 musical ON THE 20TH CENTURY hasn’t been produced in the Chicagoland area in over thirty years and has never been performed within the city limits. On the one hand, it’s difficult to see why. With witty book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green (SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN) and a catchy score by Cy Coleman (SWEET CHARITY, CITY OF ANGELS), ON THE 20TH CENTURY is the kind of slapstick, low-stakes, musical comedy that makes for a perfect evening of theatrical escapism. On the other hand, the musical—if given a full production—is a technical behemoth, requiring a set that replicates numerous train cars at the same time while also moving seamlessly into flashbacks from the characters’ lives.

So the show is an interesting choice for Blank Theatre, which has made a reputation for itself in recent years as a storefront theater producing major musicals in cabaret-style settings, attracting the talents of numerous Jeff Award nominees. The company has always prided itself on its ambition, and its latest offering is illustrative of its so-far successful mission to bring new life to classic works. Blank Theatre’s ON THE 20TH CENTURY makes for a delightful ride through a farcical facsimile of Broadway’s Silver Age, if one can accommodate a few bumps along the way.

A comic operetta that doubles as a love letter to 1930s musicals, ON THE 20TH CENTURY is about the down-on-his-luck but perpetually optimistic theater producer Oscar Jaffee (Maxwell J DeTogne) and his attempts to convince his former star and current love interest, Lily Garland (Karylin Veres), to return to the Broadway stage. But Garland stubbornly refuses to give up her successful career in Hollywood, just one of many obstacles Jaffee faces throughout the sixteen-hour train ride. Others include two sidekicks on the verge of quitting and an alcoholic stupor, an escaped asylum inmate on an evangelistic crusade, and a succession of civilians hoping to get their own musicals produced.

In the production’s opening scene, one may wonder if Blank can pull off the musical’s many moving parts, both artistic and technical. The limitations of the space mean that Coleman’s brassy score must, unfortunately, be reduced to a four-piece orchestra heavily reliant on a keyboard and percussions. However, the score is played well even within these limitations. Under the meticulous command of musical director Aaron Kaplan, the ensemble’s voices blend beautifully and harmoniously, though some actors’ faces remain as expressive as a coal car. The notable exceptions are Shea Hopkins and Nicholas Ian, whose over-the-top characterizations are always a delight to watch, even when they aren’t the focus of a scene.

But any trepidation about the remainder of the show is quickly put to rest with the entrance of DeTogne and Veres, two rising stars of Chicago’s musical theater scene whose talents have deservedly received greater recognition over the last several seasons. Coming fresh off Theo Ubique’s Sondheim revue, DeTogne once again shows off his vocal flexibility, his pleasant tenor breezing through tender ballads in between hitting each comic beat that comes his way. At his best, he’s reminiscent of a young Kevin Kline (a member of the original Broadway cast), self-assured in his charisma yet unselfconscious of his buffoonery. For her part, Veres’s soprano always rings clear as a bell. From the moment she begins to sing during a flashback to Garland’s first audition with Jaffee, she has the audience hooked, and it’s easy to believe that the producer desperately needs her talent if he wants to regain his former success. And it’s in these moments of conflict, when Jaffee and Garland seem equally torn between ripping each other to shreds or giving in to their unspoken love for one another, when the leads are at their strongest, especially in the Act I finale, “I’ve Got It All.”

But equally impressive, and occasionally even more entertaining, are the show’s supporting characters. As Jaffee’s two reluctant yet loyal servants, Dustin Rothbart and Nick Arceo serve as both clowns and straight men, their vaudevillian physical comedy contrasting with their looks of not-so-quiet desperation. Alicia Berneche steals nearly every scene as Letitia Peabody Primrose, the wealthy religious “nut” who represents Jaffee’s best chance at securing the financial capital necessary for his next show. Her Act I showstopper “Repent” was a clear audience favorite, with viewers applauding throughout as Berneche pulled increasingly bizarre items from her handbag, pointed out “sinners” in the crowd, and maintained an entertaining (and on-pitch) character voice. This number is also the only one that breaks the fourth wall, a deliberate choice that—while not unwelcome—still feels jarring, and some of Berneche’s character choices feel a bit too contemporary. I, for one, hope for the day when campy productions no longer feel the need to include a giant fan clack à la RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Generally speaking, Blank co-artistic director Danny Kapinos should be lauded for his creativity in adapting such a large-scale musical for such an intimate space. His direction throughout is always inventive, such as creating various locomotive locales using little more than trunks, suitcases, and a few chairs (scenic design by Rose Johnson). It’s the kind of stagecraft that illustrates the power of imagination while putting a greater focus on the actors’ performances. But invention only goes so far, and the lack of clear scene setting occasionally creates some confusion, such as when Jaffee sings a love duet to Garland alongside the actress’s current paramour, Bruce Granit (hilariously played like a lovable golden retriever by Christopher Johnson). Initially, it’s unclear whether the men are in the same room or even if they’re singing to one another. That may be the joke, but the joke takes just a little too long to land.

But ON THE 20TH CENTURY is ultimately a luggage car full of laughs. And this production is a clear labor of love from Blank Theatre’s creative team, whose passion and care for the material sounds as loud and clear as a train whistle. The production runs through June 9 at the newly opened Bramble Arts Loft on North Clark in Andersonville.

Photo Credit: Kelsey Decker/Wannabe Studio

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