Sugar

Boy! Now, more than ever, I'm glad there's a Westchester Broadway dinner theatre. This has been a weak season for musicals on Broadway—particularly family-friendly musical comedies. Westchester Broadway is helping fill the void by reviving the 1972 musical comedy Sugar, based on the film Some Like It Hot (which the American Film Institute in 2000 picked as the funniest American comedy film of all time). Now Sugar was never a top-tier musical. But it's got some catchy songs by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, and an economical book by Peter Stone that preserves some unforgettable scenes from the movie. Although it's not Styne, Merrill or Stone at their best, it's still more entertaining than much of what's made it to Broadway of late. It's good, clean, light, escapist fare that kids, their parents, and their grandparents can enjoy together. And you sure can't say that about a rock-concert musical like American Idiot.

Sugar is not meant to be taken seriously. It's not meant to provoke deep thought on the human condition. It's simply meant to entertain.  And sometimes that's quite enough for me. This musical's gangsters break into tap-dancing at every possible opportunity. (And considering how little tap-dancing you can find anywhere on Broadway this season, I'm all for it! Kudos to choreographer Michael O'Steen.)  And when the two leading men (Gary Lynch and Eric Santagata) dress up as women to escape the gangsters, well—no one in real life would be fooled by their disguises. And that makes it all the more amusing when they sing they've got "The Beauty That Drives Men Wild."

Director Charles Repole understands well traditional, old-style  musical comedy; he has a real flair for it, and he makes good use of the space. It adds to the fun, having actors romp through the aisles.  Colleen Hawks, playing the character originated by Marilyn Monroe in the film, looks and sounds quite a bit like Monroe. And Roger Preston Smith (as millionaire Osgood Fielding Jr.) and Ann-Ngaire Martin  (as Sweet Sue, leader of an all-girl band) make the most of their supporting roles. I took delight in some of the visually striking groupings of performers during musical numbers. And the pastel-colored 1920s costumes in this lively show are a treat.

I saw Sugar (starring the irrepressible Robert Morse—a key asset) when it opened on Broadway in 1972. At the time, it was easy for theater-buffs to focus on the show's imperfections. The score, critics noted correctly, was not as strong as the scores that Styne had composed for his earlier hits Gypsy and Funny Girl (Bob Merrill-lyrics); Peter Stone's book was not as sharp and fresh as his book for 1776, and so on.  And there's no denying the truth in such observations. But they don't tell the whole story. I left the Westchester Broadway Theatre with the show's big number, "Doin' It for Sugar," echoing in my head. And days later, that infectious melody is still there. Styne knew how to write tunes like that. The theater world could sorely use a few more Jule Stynes now. Every time another rock jukebox musical opens, musical comedies by someone like Styne—even imperfect ones like Sugar—look all the better. I think this show, properly cast — maybe Robert Morse could be enticed to play Osgood this time — could be revived at City Center Encores, and I think it could charm people all over again.

Westchester Broadway has a likeable show here. And the pricing—considering that you're getting a dinner and show for less than the price of a ticket in NYC — is fair. For 35 years, Westchester Broadway's owners, Bill Stutler and Bob Funking, have been presenting musicals at their dinner theater; this is their 165th production. And it's well worth a visit.  At the performance I attended, they also presented a $1,000 scholarship check, towards college expenses, to Douglas Daniels of Westchester, whom they'd chosen as the region's outstanding actor among high school seniors.

(Pictured: Colleen Hawks and the Society Syncopators)

Chip Deffaa
Cabaret Scenes
May 6, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org