BWW Reviews: NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT Delights with Classic Gershwin Tunes

Certainly, in the history of the American musical theatre, there is no shortage of musicals that place George and Ira Gershwin's music and lyrics front and center. From Crazy for You to the more recent Nice Work If You Can Get It, it has proven impossible to resist using their infectious melodies and clever lyrics to help tell a new yet familiar story. When performed well, the familiar tunes can make even the most jaded audience member lighten up a bit.

Following after the 2012 Tony Award nominated Broadway production of Nice Work If You Can Get It, the current national tour - which played Washington DC's historic Warner Theatre this weekend - offers a heavy dose of nostalgia and ample opportunity for a triple threat cast to show off their wares. It's one of those productions that offer all around pure entertainment.

Joe DiPetro's suitably frothy book grounds the slew of Gershwin songs - twenty of them in fact, with many more reprises - with a prohibition era narrative about a spoiled boy (Jimmy Winter, played by Alex Enterline) and a rough-around-the-edges bootlegger girl (Billie Bendrix, played by Mariah MacFarlane). A madcap comedic story ensues about the way they meet, how they unexpectedly fall in love, and the legal and relationship-based obstacles they must overcome to have one of those happily ever after stories.

Numerous excuses abound, of course, for a good, old-fashioned song and dance number in the process of the two opposites finding true love amid the chaos. Jimmy's latest well-bred wife, Eileen (Rachael Scarr) - one of the complications to him and Billie finding love - has one of the first memorable ones. The deliciously self-centered Scarr sings George and Ira's "Delishious" as an ode to herself. She pampers herself with a bubble bath and is soon unexpectedly joined by a gaggle of song and dance men and women in dazzling pink and white costumes (designed by Martin Pakledinaz, and coordinated for tour by Amy Clark). Another fine moment comes as Jimmy and his new found "butler" Cookie (the hilarious Reed Campbell) try to distract the feds from finding the alcohol that Billie and crew have stored. Leading an energetic and well sung rendition of "Fascinating Rhythm" with the toe-tapping choreography (Kathleen Marshall, recreated on tour by Director/Choreographer David Eggers) one might expect, Enterline, Campbell and the hard-working ensemble offer up a pure delight.

A strong eight-piece band, led by music director Charlie Reuter, complements the fine vocals on the many Gershwin numbers quite well and adds even more pizazz to the evening. Speaking of fine vocals, here I must specifically mention Ms. MacFarlane and Mr. Enterline. Mariah's pure and clear and exceedingly pleasing vocal tone, reminiscent of Liz Callaway, as well as her tender emotion make "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "But Not For Me" very memorable. Yet, she also handles the feistier numbers ("Hangin' Around With You," for example) with ease. Unlike the Broadway production, I found MacFarlane and Enterline to be the perfect vocal and acting match for one another on their many duets, each contributing something equally special to make them work. From the title song and "S'Wonderful," to the many staged in Jimmy's ritzy bedroom, the duets are the perfect mixture of playful energy, polished vocals, and solid emotional connection. Like MacFarlane, Enterline's strong tenor voice is well-suited to the music and I look forward to seeing what he does in the future, both as an actor and a singer.

Special mention must also be made of Stephanie Harter Gilmore as the prohibitionist/aunt to Eileen, Duchess Estonia Dulworth. It's hard not to make this role a standout one - let's just say swinging on a chandelier is involved so more than likely the crowd is going to go for it - but Gilmore takes it on with reckless abandon. Comedic chops, solid vocals on "By Strauss" and "Looking for a Boy," and strong movement skills, her performance is one of the most memorable ones in Act II. Incidentally, her contribution to "Demon Rum," at the top of the show was less than vocally spectacular on opening night, so I was impressed by the turnaround. To be fair, however, portions of that song seemed out of her comfortable, vocal range.

All in all, the current tour is a well-paced production that offers a little something for everyone. Even at the Warner, which is a notoriously hard venue to play in from a technical standpoint - the set design, originally done by Derek McLane, but created for the tour by Shoko Kambara, didn't quite fit the stage particularly well - it was easy for me to get lost in the music, and fine singing and dancing. Due to the high quality of the performances, it was far easy to forget that some things might be a little rough around the edges from a technical production standpoint.

For those that saw the Broadway production and for those who may have not, this tour is one to catch.

Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission.

"Nice Work If You Can Get It" played the Warner Theatre - 513 13 Street, NW in Washington, DC - from January 30 to 31, 2015. For further information on upcoming shows at the Warner, consult the official website. See the "Nice Work If You Can Get It" website for upcoming tour dates.

Photo: Alex Enterline and Mariah MacFarlane pictured; by Jeremy Daniel.

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