If you weren’t able to catch Yank! during its Off-Broadway run at the York Theatre, have no fear; producers plan to transfer it next season to Broadway. And that’s all to the good. Although the current season is not yet over, Yank! is the most intriguing new musical I’ve seen thus far this season, and it certainly has the strongest, most original book. David Zellnik (book and lyrics), Joseph Zellnik (music), Igor Goldin (director), and Jeffry Denman (choreography) have given us a show that is not only thoroughly entertaining, it breaks new ground. It is a love story between two male soldiers. We care about the neatly-etched characters, and there are several strong performances, starting with Bobby Steggert (who’d impressed so much in Ragtime), who is perfect as an idealistic, naïve young soldier falling in love for the first time; Ivan Hernandez (from The Fantasticks) as the closeted, conflicted man he falls for; and Nancy Anderson (from Jolson & Co.) enlivening the female roles. Jeffry Denman (most recently seen on Broadway in White Christmas) carries off well the slick, smarmy character he plays; his engaging offhand tap-dancing is fun, and his most welcome tap choreography advances the story. (The dream ballet sequence didn’t do much for me; but the show is so interesting overall, that seems a relatively small flaw.) The songs—pastisches of WW II-era numbers—are all right, if not as strong as the book. But this well-directed show works. And the supporting players, such as Andrew Durand, Tally Sessions, and Denis Lambert, are well-chosen.
(Pictured: Bobby Steggert and Ivan Hernandez. Photo by Carol Rosegg)
Chip Deffaa
Cabaret Scenes
March 29, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org
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