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Thursday, Jul 29, 2010
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Stunt Girl charms at Village Theatre |
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| Stunt Girl charms at Village Theatre | ||
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by Milton W. Hamlin -
SGN A&E Writer Stunt Girl Village Theatre, Issaquah Through April 26 The Village Theatre has a happy hit on its hands with the handsome production of the appealing new musical, Stunt Girl, a rousing musical biography of Nellie Bly, one of journalism's first female reporters. The show continues through April 26 at VT in Issaquah and then moves to Everett for a May1-24 run. The new show is always interesting, often compelling and totally clever in its lyrics and music. "Nellie Bly" was the name used by Elizabeth Jane Cochran to disguise her true identity when she got a job to write for Joseph Pulitzer's New York World in the late 1880s. Women were a rarity on newspaper staffs, but "Bly" convinced Pulitzer to hire her as an investigative reporter, quickly termed a "stunt girl" in the yellow journalism world of the era. As the first "stunt girl," Bly got herself committed to a mental institution for women and wrote a sensational "inside" story of the truth behind the locked doors. Her writing shocked New York, caused reforms and helped Pulitzer and the World break circulation records. At that time, New York City had eight daily papers, each battling for readership. In 1890, Bly decided to challenging the fictional record set by Jules Verne's best selling Around The World In 80 Days. With only a small suitcase (as she charmingly sings, "two dresses, one to wash, one to wear...."), she circled the globe in 72 days and a few hours. At each stop, Bly wrote feature stories and often daily dispatches and pushed the World to the number-one spot in New York readership. A frantic public followed her adventures in London, France, Italy, Egypt, Singapore, Hong Kong, San Francisco and finally back to New York. This 72-day journey is the basis for an incredible Act One finale for Stunt Girl. It's a glorious moment in the world of musical theater, a truly memorable sequence. The show opens with Cochran (soon to be Nellie Bly) looking for a job in New York. A chorus of four "Newsies," four newspaper selling boys, shouts the headlines of the day in "That's The Headline." The four singers function throughout the spirited musical as a Greek Chorus, commenting on the plot events and singing out the praises of the readers. The show's creators, Peter Kellogg and David Friedman (one's straight, one's Gay), use this lively opening number to set the stage for the era, the plight of women, and the cutthroat aspects of journalism at that time. The strong feminist concerns of the plot and of the era add a special appeal to many in the audience - this scribe's guest was especially pleased with the pro-feminist issues and thought the new musical "was one of the best I've ever seen," she said. Amazingly, the show's first four numbers are all knockout musical sequences, each stronger than the last. "That's The Headline" puts the whole cast on stage and sets the stage. "Don't Bore Them" puts a singing and dancing Pulitzer and his editors stage center with Pulitzer's philosophy for success. "Tell Me What You Need" introduces Nellie and her goal in being hired by the World. "This Is Frightful" reveals Nellie's inner fears once she has a job. Each song is strong, with clever lyrics and constantly delightful rhymes highlighting the intelligent contributions of the songwriting team. Throughout the show, the music is continually the highlight - a welcome rarity in new musicals. While no Hit Parade titles are likely to emerge (no Broadway musicals are now expected to create hit songs - and The Hit Parade is long gone), all the songs are rewarding, all are honest reflections of the plot or the characters. No cheap laughs, no bad rhymes, no forced moments. The whole Stunt Girl cast is strong. Sarah Chalfy is delightful as the spirited Nellie Bly. A native of Bellevue, Chalfy returns to the Eastside after a New York career, mainly off-Broadway. Aside from a few unflattering costumes, Chalfy is a musical and visual delight throughout the show. John Patrick Lowrie, a VT veteran, is thoroughly believable as the gruff Joseph Pulitzer. The show gives Bly two emotional attachments. Dane Stokinger, another VT veteran, is delightfully appealing as Bly's young co-worker, Arthur Brisbane. Hugh Hastings, a VT and Seattle-area theater veteran, is wonderfully appealing as the older, rich businessman Bly unexpectedly marries. Hastings is a local theater treasure and he has never been better - or more believable. Two supporting roles steal every scene they share. Eric Polani Jensen is amazing as Howard Martin, a snake-in-the-grass coworker. His musical timing is outstanding and his comic antics brighten every scene. Matching him in "steal this scene" success is Jessica Skerritt, a powerhouse in a supporting role. As Phoebe, she's the Material Girl of the show, the comic sidekick who knocks 'em out. Their "Make Him Jealous" duet in Act Two is a musical and comic highlight of the whole production. Indeed, as the show fine-tunes for further productions, the creative team might be well to add more material for Howard and Phoebe - the audience clearly loves them and wants to see more of them. Stunt Girl will undoubtedly have a life after it leaves the Village Theatre. Regional theaters are a natural for this charming mid-sized musical. Off Broadway or New York subscription theaters might be in the future. It's always a danger to take a chance on a new work, but this Stunt Girl really delivers. Check it out. Ticket information on the Issaquah run through April 26 is available at (425) 392-2202, a local call from most of Seattle. Details about the Everett extension, May 1-24 at the Everett Performing Arts Center, is offered at (425) 257-8600. The weekend matinees or Saturday or Sunday night performances offer easy driving - theatergoers love the Saturday or Sunday matinees with almost no traffic on freeways to either location. Take a minute and read the short article in the play's program about Washington State Suffragettes and the special display at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. The exhibit, "Woman's Votes, Women's Voices" continues through September 27. |
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