“Shaking the Blues Away” All photos by Diane Sobolewski
By Geary Danihy
What a lovely dessert to serve for
Michael Price’s going-away party. After 48 years, Price, executive director of
Goodspeed Musicals, is moving on, leaving behind a legacy unmatched in Connecticut – and
national – theater. He is, without a doubt, the defining force behind all that
Goodspeed has come to stand for, so it is fitting that the final production of
his career at Goodspeed, “Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn,” display the style,
quality and talent that has drawn crowds to the venerable theater for decades.
As directed by Gordon Greenberg,
who co-authored the book with Chad Hodge, and choreographed Denis Jones,
“Holiday Inn” is a delightful evocation of the golden age of both Broadway and Hollywood musicals. There’s singing, dancing and romancing
and a light-hearted plot. As my play-going partner commented upon leaving
Goodspeed that evening, you always come away feeling good, and that’s because
Goodspeed under Price’s direction has never lost sight of its primary function,
which is to present classic musical theater without any shrugs or winks.
Basically, Goodpseed gives its audience what it wants, and that’s what keeps
the folks coming back.
Patti Murin and Noah Racey
“Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn” is a
classic example of what Goodspeed is, well, so good at. There’s a raft of
talented actors, a set, created by Anna Louizos, that explains why so many
theater companies around the country with limited space seek our Goodspeed for
advice, costumes (there has to be at least six or seven major costume changes
for the cast over the course of the evening) by Alejo Vietti that dazzle, and
dance numbers choreographed by the aforementioned Jones that seem both
spontaneous and studied (in this case, a close study of some of Fred Astaire’s
memorable numbers).
The plot doesn’t require much of a
synopsis. Jim Hardy (Tally Sessions), Ted Hanover (Noah Racey) and Lila Dixon (Hayley Podschun)
have a song and dance act. Jim and Lila are engaged, but Ted lures her away
with dreams of Hollywood glory. Seeking solace
in the simpler life, Jim, sight-unseen, buys a farm in Connecticut , the ancestral home of Linda
Mason (Patti Murin).
Hayley Podschun as Lila Dixon
and Noah Racey as Ted Hanover
and Noah Racey as Ted Hanover
Jim soon realizes that the farm
will not pay for itself, unless…why not turn it into an inn, an inn that puts
on musical extravaganzas on all of the major holidays (What’s to be done for
income the rest of the year? Don’t ask. It’s a musical!) With the help of Louise
(Susan Mosher), the local handywoman and the musical’s comic relief, the inn is
transformed, Linda, who once had acting aspirations, is induced to become
involved, Jim and Linda start to have feelings for each other, Ted reappears,
having been jilted by Lila, and goes into his ‘Hollywood dreams’ routine with
Linda, she bites, Jim once again is despondent…oh, will true love eventually
win out? Yes, you’ve seen variations on these time-worn themes many times
before, but they work, and they work admirably at Goodspeed. If you’re yearning
for “The Cherry Orchard” or “A Doll’s House,” go elsewhere. The plot is the
all-purpose flour and yeast that help make the cake; the songs (a pastiche of
classic Irving Berlin songs) and the dance routines are the luscious fillings
that make this particular dessert so delightful.
Susan Mosher as Louise and
Tally Sessions as Jim Hardy
Tally Sessions as Jim Hardy
The songs? Yes, of course, there’s
“White Christmas,” that paean to a time and a holiday that exists primarily in
American myth (and perhaps, for a certain age group, brings on suicidal
thoughts around holiday-time), but there’s also “Out With My Baby,” “Blue
Skies,” “What’ll I Do?,” “You’re Easy to Dance With” and “Be Careful, it’s My
Heart.” And then there’s “Shaking the Blues Away,” perhaps not one of Berlin’s
most memorable songs but it becomes a show-stopper with Jones’s choreography
that, most notably, involves three dancers jump-roping with a long length of
garland. This number epitomizes what Goodpseed is all about – it’s innovative
and exuberant.
The show’s penultimate number,
“Let’s Take an Old-Fashioned Walk,” perhaps says more than it is meant to, for
that is what Price has focused on over his 46 years at Goodspeed, an
old-fashioned walk down the memory lane that is American musical theater, and
he’s brought us along, and for that, if for nothing else, we can be ever
grateful. Thank you, Michael, for all of those walks.
“Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn” has
been extended through Dec. 21. For tickets or more information call 860.873.8668
or visit: www.goodspeed.org.
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