BWW Reviews: A Star Is Born in NUTTIN' BUT HUTTON

Nuttin' But Hutton: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Betty Hutton/conceived by Diane Vincent/written by Diane Vincent and Sam Kriger/directed by Larry Raben/choreographed by Lee Martino/NoHo Arts Center/through April 28

Triple threat actress/singer/dancer Betty Hutton is perhaps one of the greatest yet lesser known musical film stars of the 40s and 50s. Star of Annie Get Your Gun and The Greatest Show on Earth, Hutton possessed a uniquely energetic style that can be most realistically described as 'manic'. It seems that she was in constant motion, never stopping for an instant and propelling her musical numbers through her electric singing and dancing to new heights of excitement. Diane Vincent was so taken by Robert Osborne's 2000 interview with Hutton on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) that she knew she had to research and put together a show to celebrate the lady's immeasurable talent. And here it is, some 13 years later, the world premiere of Nuttin' But Hutton, a revue in two acts with music both familiar and unfamiliar from all of Hutton's films.

Wonderfully prolific director Larry Raben and highly inventive choreographer Lee Martino have generated a dynamically frenetic pace, that like Hutton herself, refuses to slow down. Vincent as DeeDee shops her revue in honor of Hutton to agent Buster Heymeister (Nathan Holland) and with three leaping lizards of dance Tom, Dick and Harry played by Chad Borden, Daniel Guzman and Justin Jones respectively, all four perform a lengthy audition through song and dance. All in Act I are lesser known with the exception of "The Greatest Show on Earth". Songs such as Johnny Mercer's terribly funny "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry" from 1942's The Fleet's In, "A Square in the Social Circle", "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" from Paramount Pictures 1945 The Stork Club, 1939's adorably visual "Igloo" or "I've Got Bluebirds In My Belfry" are rapid paced comedic gems that Hutton made famous and give Vincent and her boys a wide-open field day for exhilarating stage interpretations. There's also Frank Loesser's priceless "Poppa, Don't Preach To Me" from the 1947 movie The Perils of Pauline which was typical Hutton, crazed comedy fare and very enjoyable, but lost, hidden in a vault somewhere, all but forgotten. Thanks to Vincent, these numbers have a brand new life!

Act II, on the other hand, is brimming over with hits like "It Had To Be You", "They Say It's Wonderful", "Anything You Can Do" and "There's No Business Like Show Business" from Annie Get Your Gun, "Stuff Like That There" and the great "Hamlet" number from Red, Hot and Cole. In Act I one number segues into the next with hardly a pause in between, or so it seems. The numbers really connect and take off. Vincent and the boys move, move, move with the guys making super quick costume changes and returning in a flash. Act II's songs are broken up a bit with short funny videos in which actors as fans off the street talk about their love for Hutton as film star and the GIs' number one pinup girl during WWII. Susanne Blakeslee has an hysterically funny turn in one of them as a beer guzzling white trailer trash gal who idolizes Hutton from afar. Wonderful musical director Sam Kriger leads a 6-piece live orchestra for the two-hour show, and let's credit Jeff McLaughlin for a nifty set design and A. Jeffrey Schoenberg for some very pretty period costumes.

I can truthfully say that in Diane Vincent a star is born. Although a performer on the musical stage for numerous years, Nuttin' But Hutton brings her center stage. This is her baby all the way. She wrote it, and boy oh boy, does she play it for all it's worth. She has a great set of pipes, dances up a storm with an overabundance of gusto and charisma and lights up the stage from start to finish just like her idol Betty Hutton. Holland, Borden, Jones and Guzman all lend terrific support. Borden is a thorough delight as Hedda Hopper, as is Jones a winning ventriloquist. It is nice to see slightly older dancers cast like Holland and Guzman, who can still deliver the goods abundantly and appealingly.

This is one helluva show that never lets up on entertainment value. It is ideal off-Broadway fare. Diane Vincent is dazzling and you walk away pleased but craving more of her... and a fresh desire to rent the films of Betty Hutton.

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