Toby's Columbia: "George M!" Dazzles

Early in the musical George M!, a young George M Cohan asks his father, "How do you know it's good, Dad?" And the father replies, "The stage just shines – you'll know if it happens." Those words are a perfect fit for the show, which opened recently at Toby's Dinner Theatre in Columbia. When this show is good, it shines like the sun. And even when it makes you scratch your head, it still holds a glimmer of greatness.

George M. Cohan is, to date, the only man to have a statue in Times Square. That's how huge his contribution was to American theatre and the Great White Way. George M!, the musical version of his life story, uses his songs in a series of vaudeville scenes which flip flop back and forth between book scenes and production numbers – sometimes they are scenes from his Broadway shows, other times they are staged like production numbers, but really comment on what is happening at this point in his life. Pretty high concept for a straight shooting, in-it-for-himself showman…

As directed with a loving hand by Toby Orenstein, that high concept comes off well. Most of the time, the switch between "life" and "performance" is seamless, easy to understand, and makes the point easily. And, as usual, Ms. Orenstein has a gift for making the show easy to see no matter where you sit in-the-round – the focus shifts so smoothly, the blocking so effortless that you never notice any unnatural turns or other blocking which often plagues staging in such a theatre space. Of course, she's been at it since 1979, but the staging is fresh and energetic. And, again as always, she has surrounded herself with top-notch technical support and a largely winning cast. The plentiful and elaborate stage settings are designed by David A. Hopkins; the dazzling lighting is designed by Lynn Joslin. But the technical star of this extravaganza is costume designer Lawrence B. Munsey. This man has a gift, and an amazing eye for detail. One can only imagine the research he does for each show. The twenty plus member cast goes through dozens of costume changes as the cavalcade of history and showstoppers parades before the appreciative audience.

Another star of the show is the choreography by Germaine Salsberg, which ranges from all out tap dancing ("All Aboard for Broadway") and good, old-fashioned kick lines ("Give My Regards to Broadway"), to highly stylized movement (the father-son boxing match of "Harrigan"). Like Munsey and the rest of the technical staff, much research and attention to detail has been paid to the style of dancing ("Oh, You Wonderful Boy", "Yankee Doodle Dandy") and even patriotism ("Over There", "You're a Grand Old Flag"). Each number is a visual feast and heart-poundingly exciting.

The truly amazing company, many of whom play multiple roles, is youthful and energetic and quite smart. They all have a firm grasp on the story they are telling and style in which they are telling it. It is often said that they don't make musicals like this anymore, and it is very true of George M!, so it is very much to their credit that they have stepped up to the plate with such authority – they are all gifted singers and dancers. Among the standouts in the superb ensemble are Samn Huffer, Debra Buonaccorsi, Jenny Fersch and Maria Egler, all of whom play people that impacted George's life in some form or other. Each has created a memorable moment for themselves, all while highlighting a specific moment in the life of Cohan.

The main supporting characters are the rest of the Cohan family, played with style, grace and a huge dose of energy by Darren McDonnell (Jerry, the father), Trish Watkins (Nellie, the mother) and Jamie Eacker (Josie, the sister). All three offer amazing support for the man of the hour, and all three create highly stylized and still realistic, grounded performances (remember the story is told through a series of vaudeville numbers and "real life" book scenes). Mr. McDonnell and Ms. Watkins compliment each other wonderfully, and it is easy to see why they were cast as a married couple and as members of the same song and dance team. McDonnell really stands out in a poignant scene in which George makes his father a full partner in the act. Ms. Eacker, last seen in Footloose at Toby's Baltimore (Best Supporting Actress 2006 – Resident Theatre, Baltimore.BroadwayWorld.com), shows that her talents extend far beyond the pop stylings required of that show. She is equally at home in old-fashioned musical comedy and is a true triple threat – she sings, dances and acts her way through the piece with great flair and presence. Her big act one solo, "Oh, You Wonderful Boy" gets the show rolling, and her act two number, "Nellie Kelly" is a delight. After that number, she is part of a highly dramatic scene which she plays with a touching sincerity. She is a performer to watch and to look for in the future!

If George M! is even remotely based on fact, then Cohan was a rude, self-absorbed tyrant of a man, often running his mouth without thinking, and leaving dozens of his loved ones and followers shaking their heads in disbelief. Jeffrey Shankle, seen previously in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Here's Love at this venue, really has this aspect of the character down. His approach goes well beyond cocky arrogance – Shankle's Cohan is ice cold and mean. It is amazing that Cohan wasn't murdered.

But I was left wondering, if Cohan was really so focused and driven and nasty offstage, what made him so wildly popular with the American public? Writing rousing patriotic anthems and catchy show tunes made him a household name. And he was a huge, magnetic star of the stage in his time, which was full of larger than life personalities. He had to have oozed charisma out of every pore, and have been driven by a deep inner fire. Unfortunately, here is where Shankle is lacking. I have seen this gifted man at his charming, charismatic best in Millie, so I know he can do it. But his performance seems so focused on the drive and arrogance that he has all but forgotten to add touches of warmth to make us at least want to root for the guy he is playing. Instead, there are inappropriate moments where you root against him. For example, you find yourself wanting to cheer when his first wife finally leaves him, and you want to scream, "NO!" when his second wife falls for him. The frigid take on the character really sticks out, though, when the rest of his "family" clearly shows a difference between their performing selves and their real selves.

There are a few sparks of humility and warmth in act two, which just goes to show Mr. Shankle is nearly there in making a fully rounded character. There is an extended moment where he theatrically ages himself in front of us, while the voice of the real Cohan talks. The look of resignation and even a little doubt as he transforms speaks volumes. Later, when he joins a Broadway show and is, shall we say, difficult, it takes a much younger man to bring him down a peg or two, and Shankle's look of disbelief, followed by defeat, then inner strength, softens the man enough to make him almost likeable. Still, Jeffrey Shankle is an extremely talented young man – his voice is beautiful and he has all the moves for a real song and dance man (I can imagine him in Fosse or Swing!, for sure), and he is working hard. Fortunately, for him, and the theatre going public, he has just short of four months of a run to work out the kinks and relax and maybe soften his approach.

In times like these, we need to be reminded of how great America is and was. George M! at Toby's Columbia reminds us of the drive to succeed that is as American as it gets. And a show that is full of century old songs that are still known today, told in that most American of art forms, the musical, is just what these trying times needs. Toby and company has delivered us a shiny early spring gift, wrapped up in red, white and blue.

PHOTOS: Jeffrey Shankle as George M. Cohan in George M! Photo by Kristine Christiansen.

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