Steppin’ Out With Irving Berlin
Steppin’ Out With Irving Berlin
By Roy Alan and Todd Allen Long
Directed and Choreographed by Rob Winn Anderson
Musical Direction by Chris Leavy
Winter Park Playhouse, Winter Park FL</strong>
Irving Berlin was prolific: he started young, worked furiously, and lived to an old age. He left us with music ranging from “God Bless America” to “Putting on the Ritz” and Roy Alan and Mr. Long sifted though this catalog and arranged a fun, upbeat tribute with costumes, tap dancing and a tuba solo. After the mandatory high energy opener, Mr. Alan sings the slightly risqué “My Wife’s Gone to the Country”; I seem to recall this from another show but it’s the sort of knee-slapper you granddad would have an appreciated. Alan returns with “Top Hat, White Coat and Tails”, its sets the standard of B&W elegance this show oozes. Candice Neal plays a Washington Socialite in “The Hostess with the Mostess’ On the Ball”, as we were reminded this week Washington is powered by sex as much as legislature; it just gets better coverage these days. Pricilla Bagley returns to the WPPH stage with the plaintive “The Best Thing for you (Would Be Me) as flirtatious Natalie Cordone makes off with Roy Alan’s heart. Newcomer Victor Souffrant (lately “Mae” in Reefer Madness) joins with Ms. Cordone for the rocking “Shaking the Blues Away”. There’s always a patriot medley (Berlin actually LIKED paying taxes) and the second act spectacle has Mr. Long, Natalie and Victor dancing through “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” While they mentioned Mel Brooks’s great Young Frankenstein version, they didn’t really get the hair lip part right. That’s the only complaint I can find, this show is what you go to WPPH for: great songs, silly comedy and fabulous music by the Leavy/Wilkinson/Forrest house band. Those guys need to get a snappier name.
For more information on Winter Park Playhouse, please visit http://www.winterparkplayhouse.org
