Broadway Review: “On the Town” Revival

I have been humming Leonard Bernstein songs on repeat since seeing the current revival of On The Town at the Lyric Theatre. It would be impossible not to hum a few bars, even for the most cynical New Yorker, after being whisked along by the snappy and energetic production of this Broadway classic.

On the Town provides a simple plot, with elegant music. Three sailors step off their ship with just 24 hours to take in the big city before returning to the Navy. As many tourists do, they plan on packing every sight the city has to offer into their one day visit. But, first on the list is finding girls. When Gabey (Tony Yazbeck) discovers a picture of the newly crowned “Miss Turnstiles” (aka Ivy, Megan Fairchild) on the subway, he instantly falls for her. His fellow Navy-men Ozzie and Chip (Clyde Alves and Jay Armstrong Johnson) are determined to find their friend his dream girl to lift his spirits.

From the moment the three sailors burst onto the stage, erupting into the famous “New York, New York”, the entire theatre is humming with energy that lasts until the final curtain. Thanks largely to John Rando’s superb direction and knack for comedy; the production is full of buoyant life.

I may be getting ahead of myself by skipping to the actor’s entrances. The magic actually starts the minute the orchestra tunes up. Experiencing a full 28 piece orchestra at a Broadway show is an unfortunate rarity these days. But this orchestra deserves top billing among the lead players for the grand and lush sound they create. This is how Bernstein’s music is meant to be heard.

Not that the performers are anything to scoff at. In the demanding role of Gabey, Tony Yazbeck provides an impressive voice. His rendition of “Lonely Town” is stunning and vulnerable. I was glad he didn’t shy away from the more melancholy moments of the show, and Gabey in particular. In a musical that tries extra hard to put the “broad” in Broadway, Yazbeck is a compelling emotional center.

The supporting characters are all outstanding physical comics with even better voices. As Claire, Elizabeth Stanley shares incredibly manic energy with Mr. Alves, particularly during “Carried Away”. They could both be accurately described as nymphomaniacs and expertly walk the fine line of playing over the top roles without becoming aggravating. Watching Stanley frequently lose her composure in a fit of lust or excitement yields some of the biggest laughs of the evening.

Alysha Umphress delivers an impressive showing as Hildy. Her confident brassy portrayal could easily swallow the puppy-dogged Armstrong Johnson whole, but the two have found great chemistry. Hildy’s signature “I Can Cook Too” stops the show, and her mix of belting and scatting instantly cemented it as my favorite rendition of the number. If we lived in the days when shouting “encore!” actually resulted in a second helping of a song, Ms. Umphress would likely have to perform this one about five times a night.

The choreography by Joshua Bergasse ranges from grand to elegant. While he may sometimes stray from the iconic original dances of Jerome Robbins, Bergasse meets the demands of the cavernous Lyric Theatre. He expertly manages both large ensemble pieces with their many moving parts, as well as intimate moments like the Coney Island Pas de Deux.

It’s in this number that Broadway newcomer Megan Fairchild (principal ballerina of New York City Ballet) gets her time to shine as Ivy. She may have a modest voice compared to her co-stars, but she is an expert technical dancer and her work is thrilling to behold.

My one great complaint with the production is scenic design that just doesn’t work. While the show as a whole oozes warmth and nostalgia, Beowulf Boritt’s set is cold and modern. The harsh blues and modern interpretations of interiors is distracting and pulls the audience out of the experience. Projections of New York City streets (strangely rendered as solid blue geometric shapes) are also used to ill effect, most notably in the infamous cab scene. Umphress and Johnson are impressive enough on their own here, and don’t need crudely rendered projections to make the song work. Perhaps projections could be put to good use in this scene…but not ones that look this cheap.

On The Town may not be a perfectly crafted musical. Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and Leonard Bernstein hastily threw the musical together around dances from Jerome Robbins. As such, some characters fairly one note and some scenes are too long (though the hysterical Jackie Hoffman shows up as a variety of cartoons to provide some energy). But this is a wonderful production of a classic piece of musical theatre. If you want old school song and dance, it doesn’t get much better. A helluva show indeed.

On the Town
Lyric Theatre
213 West 42^nd Street, Manhattan
Music by: Leonard Bernstein
Book & Lyrics by: Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Directed by: John Rando
Choreography by: Joshua Bergasse
Starring: Tony Yazbeck, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Clyde Alves, Megan Fairchild, Alysha Umphress, Elizabeth Stanley, Phillip Boykin, Stephen DeRosa, and Jackie Hoffman