There is so much that I love about Lucky Guy, a musical comedy written/directed by Willard Beckham at the Little Shubert Theater. The musical staging by A.C. Ciulla is as witty, surprising, exuberant and just plain fun as that at any musical in New York this season. Ciulla (who also choreographed Footloose on Broadway) does it all with a wink and a nod and a smile. And great flair! Guaranteed to lift anyone’s spirits. His contributions were so enjoyable, I wished they’d given him more to do in this production; I would have welcomed even more dancing. And, oh! the costumes by William Ivey Long were a succession of extravagant, over-the-top delights. This stylishly produced show would be worth seeing for some of the whimsical production numbers alone. I love a lot of the melodies Beckham has created, too. And he could not have found a more appealing leading man than Kyle Dean Massey, who sang and acted his part to perfection. (I’m really looking forward to the cast album.) Diminutive character actor Leslie Jordan (whom many will recognize from his Emmy-winning work on Will and Grace) was great fun, too. And Varla Jean Merman has never been better.
Beckham has created a lighthearted, silly show, set in Nashville. There are lots of laughs. It is the kind of broad comedy, however, that works perfectly for a brief sketch, but can be hard to sustain for a full-length show—unless there are some moments that are real and touching. I enjoyed much of this show, and hope it gets many regional productions.
(Pictured: Kyle Dean Massey and Varla Jean Merman; Photo by Joan Marcus)
Chip Deffaa
Cabaret Scenes
May 24, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org
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