Whistle a Happy Tune
Whistle a Happy Tune
A Tribute to Rogers and Hammerstein
Directed by Wade Hair
Musical Direction by Angela Rhode
Breakthrough Theatre, Winter Park FL</strong>p
Wow! Rogers and Hammerstein had TWO major flops! Who knew? But luckily “The Sound of Music” and “The King and I” and “Oklahoma” outweighed the little known and less appreciated “Me and Juliette” or “Allegro.” Maybe there is some life left in these lost librettos; the Breakthrough cast pulls a few numbers from the losers as well as a better selection from the winners; and while there’s a good reason winner sell more tickets at least we have bragging rights for hearing material from the losers. Wade Hair put this show together, but he took ill dramatically at the last moment leaving Chris Sicilliano to fill in. There’s a significant population of children on stage as well; I think they tie to the Breakthrough Summer Camps. The kids have spunk but seem intimidated; but mostly they need to get old enough for their vocal tracts to stabilize.
Act One opens with Andrew LeJeune belting “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” along with the full cast; he’s the clear winner in the vocal category tonight. The quaint “Kansas City” uses Mr. Sicilliano’s talents and he’s a good match for this number. “Carousel” is the next source; the stand out here is “If I Loved You” featuring Mr. LeJeune and Melissa Grace. “June is Busting Out All Over” felt weak; here June leaked rather than burst but the cast redeemed itself with “It’s A Grand Night for Singing” from “State Fair.” The failure “Allegro” gave us “The Gentleman is a Dope (by Shelli Costa) and “A Fellow Needs a Girl” with Anthony Marando dueting with Mr. Sicilliano. Musical director Angela Rhode led the cast through spirited “Honey Bun” from “South Pacific”; this show gave us the best overall tunes tonight.
Act Two shined with “I Have Dreamed” from “The King and I”; here Samantha Cardella and Mr. Marando made stage magic. “We Deserve Each Other” from “Me and Juliette” showcased Marianne Ling’s voice. With “Cinderella”, Flower Drum Song” and “ The Sound of Music” left there were plenty of power tunes to close out the evening. Not a bad performance for a laid up lead and a bright eyed flock of new comers.
for more information, please visit http://www.breakthroughtheatre.com or look them up on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Breakthrough-Theatre-of-Winter-Park/
