'Seven Brides' At Drury Lane Triumphantly Turns Back The Clock

The lovely and nostalgic production of a new stage version of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" that opened this week at the Drury Lane Theatre in west suburban Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, very nearly returns the audience to the Broadway of the 1940s and early '50s. Were it not for the Contemporary Stagecraft philosophy behind the scene designs, and the pop sensibility behind its songs for the leading lady, audiences might very well think that the folk ballet world popularized by Agnes DeMille and her contemporaries (and the simple joys of "Bloomer Girl," "Texas, Lil' Darlin'" and, of course, "Oklahoma!") were still all the rage. And that would be a very good thing. 

The production, directed by Bill Jenkins of Ball State University and with cleverly flexible rough-hewn settings by his former student, Kevin Depinet (continuing his remarkable string of work for Drury Lane), also does a pretty good job of evoking the well-remembered MGM musical film on which it is (partly) based. Tammy Mader's athletic, balletic and graceful choreography looks as timeless and well-schooled as any turned out by Michael Kidd in the Stanley Donen-directed film or by DeMille in any of her collaborations with Rodgers and Hammerstein. And "The Kidnapping," the very filmic scene at the top of act two wherein the brothers "acquire" the young women who will become their brides, is cleverly staged and deftly performed. "Polite Reel/Challenge Dance" is a showstopping display of bravura theatrical dance by the talented and hard-working ensemble, axes and benches and legs and skirts a-flying. 

Were it not for two slight drawbacks, one might wonder why this funny and family-affirming all-American musical comedy has not been more of a staple of community, educational and suburban theaters over the past quarter of a century. One is the stylistic difference between the songs written for the 1954 Howard Keel-Jane Powell film by Johnny Mercer and Gene de Paul and those written (principally for the big-voiced pop ballad singer Debby Boone) for the ill-fated 1982 Broadway production by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn. This is not a deal-breaker by any means, but you can tell which is which, pretty easily. 

The other drawback is the very traditional roles of the sexes inherent in the time and place of the show ("Oregon, 1850," proclaims the proscenium) and in the Stephen Vincent Benet story "The Sobbin' Women" on which the film and the stage show are based. (It in turn is based on the Roman legend, "The Rape of the Sabine Women.") The women here are quite spunky and smart and contemporary and all, but they still do the cooking and the washing and the teaching of manners--and they get carried off from the safety of their fathers and brothers against their wills. In this context, their virginity seems courtesy of the Hays Office, even though the whole show is basically about sex, or how to cope with not getting any in Oregon in 1850! 

Drury Lane's production, we are told, is a new version of the 1982 stage show, and it may very well become the one that is licensed for future productions. In 2005, the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut heavily revised the show (book officially by Lawrence Kasha and David Landay), and that version was also seen at North Shore Music Theatre and the Paper Mill Playhouse. But, working with Music Theatre International, Drury Lane's version "includes a newly revised script never before seen that captures several important characteristics often associated with both the original 1954 film and the 2005 revival." Whatever that means! There are also new orchestrations for an orchestra of eight, by John Kornegay and Drury Lane veteran Carey Deadman (musical direction here by Roberta Duchak, with conducting by Ben Johnson). 

Kathryn Rohe's costume designs are lovely and homespun, with the men looking either rugged or straight-laced as their character requires, and the women all pretty and demure (wigs by Kaity Lacina). Jesse Klug's lighting is outdoorsy for the big scenes and targeted and intimate for the shorter, cinematic moments. I caught every word uttered, courtesy of Ray Nardelli's sound design, and the properties design by Joel Lambie captures the essence of frontier life, down to some great-looking log splitting that I still want to see close-up. The fight choreography by John Tovar is exemplary, extensive and clear in its storytelling. Depinet's mountain backdrop? Priceless.

The first act of the show tells the story of mountain man Adam Pontipee, who convinces the lively and hardworking Milly to leave her life in town and marry him on the spot, moving with him to his mountain cabin where he hunts and plows. Farcical elements ensue, when she learns too late that he has six brothers, all unmarried and untamed. (Imagine "The Sound of Music"'s Von Trapp children, only grown up and all male.Or possibly "The Miracle Worker"'s Helen Keller at the dinner table.) By the end of the act, Adam and Milly are in love, and the brothers, especially the youngest, Gideon, are convinced that they need wives, too.  Songs abound, especially the catchy but odd "Bless Yore Beautiful Hide," the charming "Goin' Courtin'" and the lovely "Love Never Goes Away." 

In the second act, six young women (all lithe, fantastic ballet dancers, by the way) are stolen away to the mountains, where Milly makes sure that they live in the house while the boys have to sleep in the barn. Adam balks. Come spring, love endures. I hope this doesn't spoil anything for anybody! Seriously, though, the show is quite entertaining (it's very well paced) and it feels right from a character point of view. It's a musical comedy--all ends happily. Did I mention that one of the townpeople is called "The Preacher?" 

Broadway star (he headlined "Beauty and the Beast" for eight years!) Steve Blanchard is Adam. No stranger to frontier musicals, he starred as Pa Ingalls in the musical version of "Little House on the Prairie" at Minneapolis's Guthrie Theatre, alongside Melissa Gilbert as Ma.  He's a warm and manly presence, striking a good balance between rugged and romantic, and he's trustworthy enough that you understand why Milly eventually puts up with him. His singing voice is a surprisingly light, high baritone, with a honey and cream quality that seduces and delights. This is an actor who works across the country, and it is easy to see and hear why. 

Chicago's very own Abby Mueller (of our popular Mueller acting clan, headed by proud father Roger) has a great deal of stage time and a good number of lovely songs to sing as Milly. She also strikes a good balance, between traditional frontier girl and modern, complex woman, and without this the show wouldn't really be believable. Brava to her for making it all work, between the petticoats, the mixed voice ballads, the clothes hampers and sticking to her moral guns. It's a well-modulated and thoughtful performance. 

Youngest brother Gideon is embodied by the impressive triple threat actor Zach Zube, the standout among the many triple threats in this production. He works all over town, but really comes into his own with this performance. His tenor voice is lovely and pitch-perfect, his ballet technique seriously studied and his acting right on the money. Second brother Richard Strimer (Benjamin) does a great job wrangling the others in dialogue with Adam, and Vanessa Panerosa and Jackson Evans are memorable as potential bride Dorcus and spurned suitor Jeb. Renee Mathews and Don Forston were delightful as Mrs. and Mr. Bixby, and Brandon Springman did a nice job as the put-upon brother Frank. 

Sure to be a crowd-pleaser with those who like their musicals American, funny and warm-hearted, with a strong quotient of kicking and leaping dance sequences and just a bit of naughty innuendo, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is as solid and confident as Adam and Milly themselves. If it's possible to make traditional values seem fresh, and make seamless staging seem easy (even old fashioned), I can't imagine a better example of the same than this state-of-the-art production. Every senior citizen--and I do mean every single one--will love it. For everybody else, just come with your sense of nostalgia for MGM and for the American frontier fully intact. There is no cynicism or glamour here. This show is about finding a life partner, not about haunted opera houses, student uprisings or murderous barbers. So take a break from modern woes and take a trip back, to 1850, 1954 and 1982. It's all here, and it will make you smile. You'll giggle with your life partner. The brides and the brothers are back!

"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" plays Wednesdays through Sundays, now through December 19, 2010, at the Drury Lane Theater, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. Call 630-530-0111 or visit www.drurylaneoakbrook.com for tickets.  

Photo credit: Brett Beiner  

Photos: Abby Mueller and Steve Blanchard; Cara Salerno, Vanessa Panerosa, Amber Mak, Hallie Cercone, Abby Mueller, Katie Huff and Amanda Kroiss; Richard Strimer, Jarret Ditch, William Travis Taylor, Chris Yonan, Brandon Springman and (back) Zach Zube; Chris Yonan, Hallie Cercone, Jarret Ditch and Cara Salerno.

To post a comment, you must register and login.