There is little brilliant adventure happening over 3 nights at Vassar’s summer annual Powerhouse Theater season. The Roar Of The Greasepaint - The Smell Of The Crowd (1964) was a failed London musical that producer David Merrick (Hello Dolly-ironically Roar’s hit song Who Can I Turn To lost a Grammy to the former) championed winning a Broadway run. Newley/Bricusse’s former show, Stop the World I Want to Get Off, was a success in London. If it hadn’t been for something called Fiddler on the Roof opening the same year on Broadway Roar may well have one a Tony or two.
Its songs are legendary and many recorded by legends. The book, however, was always deemed ‘problematic’. But was it? Santino Fontana (Cinderella, the prince in Frozen) had the balls to adapt it for a 2016 audience (he also sings the co-lead of the show at Vassar). The proof is in the pudding and Mr Fontana is clearly more than “just” a “princess”;). It is a very workable and moving adaptation. It’s also an almost impossible act for Mr Fontana to follow Anthony Newley’s original vaudeville creation of the down-and-out upwardly mobile Cocky. The role really demands a comedian/fine singer who at a young age is world weary enough no longer needing the funny. Mr.Fontana is not that, though, his dapper hand at comedy will surprise and of course he’s a fine singer.
Vassar Powerhouse’s rehearsed reading is directed by Broadway’s (Roundabout Theater’s) current ‘revival man’ Scott Ellis (She Loves Me, On the Twentieth Century). It’s a lot of work and a helluva lot of amazing Broadway (let alone screen- Jordon Gelber to name one but all) talent on that stage.
There is a ‘but’, however. Interesting that David Merrick championed both Oliver! and Roar for Broadway. For Merrick had an eye for musicals that reflected ‘real life’ and which saw through a dark glass brightly. Clearly there will always be a disconnect (e.g. current Broadway show prices alone..!) The difference between the somewhat traditional Oliver and the almost avant-garde Roar was startling. Not too so for a Broadway audience, though in 1965. If the original Pippin was ‘experimental’ then Roar was almost downtown avant-garde. Mr Fontana’s adaption is not in that realm. Nor Mr Ellis’s staging. Nor have they meant it to be. And as such it could be an enormous hit in a few years on Broadway. And a hit one would love to see happen.
What this adaptation thankfully doesn’t loose (and in fairness not always wins: it is only a rehearsed reading), is the somewhat Brechtian character of the work. No character is ever quite a saint removed from the sins of the world. They all play life’s game of financial survival and in a way will continue to do so (some more reluctantly than others) after the show is over. The ‘baddie’ of the piece upper class (in this adaptation property developer) Sir (whose prize Citizen Kane ‘Rosebud’ possession is a little music box from his youth) has a poignant/disdainful speech/song describing to his protégé Cocky his visit to the theater as a youngster and the wondrous actor ‘marionettes’. Cocky asks what was the play? What was it about? Sir cannot remember. What Sir took away and conquered in his mind (my words now) is that were are all actors on the stage of life. Some become directors. Some producers. Some screwed over by others and/or indeed ourselves. Some alcoholic, drug addled and destitute. All but remembering a strange twinkling music in the darkness: out of place, out of time.
The show’s closing number: Today may live in hist'ry As long as there's a hist'ry book. Yesterday the world was still a myst'ry; Today it has a new and diff'rent look.
The Man Who Makes You Laugh — Anthony Newley
The Entertainer (John Osborne)-Archie Rice: Don't clap too hard – it's a very old building.
Mr. Leslie Bricusse is still alive (well 85 is not that much of an achievement, nowadays, come on: where is the next music please, sir)! Me gets up in the mornings as well and wonders why I dids!
As Bernadette Peters un-famously once said in concert: "it's my show, I'll sing what I want"! So here goes....
“And what is the use of a book, without pictures or conversation?” –Alice
Tell Me Stories (Andrew's out out of tune piano and all...)
