'30S-ERA `OF THEE I SING' A PERFECT FIT FOR THE '90S.Byline: Reed Johnson Daily News Theater Critic Maxed out on Monica-gate? Weary unto death of the Bill and Ken Show? Well, if it's any consolation, the politics of the 1930s apparently were every bit as silly, salacious sa·la·cious adj. 1. Appealing to or stimulating sexual desire; lascivious. 2. Lustful; bawdy. [From Latin sal and deserving of satire as our own. Imagine a reckless, boyishly seductive president surrounded by sleazy advisers, feckless feck·less adj. 1. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective. 2. Careless and irresponsible. [Scots feck, effect (alteration of effect) + -less. senators, scandal-mongering scribes and a romantic scandal involving a pretty White House intern. And that's just the first act of ``Of Thee I Sing,'' the Pulitzer Prize-winning George and Ira Gershwin musical, with a book so eerily farsighted far·sight·ed or far-sight·ed adj. 1. Able to see distant objects better than objects at close range; hyperopic. 2. Capable of seeing to a great distance. that it seems to have been written by Jeanne Dixon rather than George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. Featuring one of the Gershwins' wiliest scores, and a number of outstanding comic performances, the production that opened Wednesday at UCLA's Freud Playhouse makes a fine tonic for those old post-election blues. This is the sixth show in the 2-year-old ``Reprise re·prise n. 1. Music a. A repetition of a phrase or verse. b. A return to an original theme. 2. A recurrence or resumption of an action. tr.v. !'' series of staged concert musicals, and, abetted by Rob Barron's elegant choreography, it's probably the smoothest and all-round snappiest since the series' inaugural effort, ``Promises, Promises.'' Of course, it's hard to imagine better timing for a show about a U.S. chief executive threatened with impeachment impeachment, formal accusation issued by a legislature against a public official charged with crime or other serious misconduct. In a looser sense the term is sometimes applied also to the trial by the legislature that may follow. by a re-election-minded Congress. How did handsome, cocky President John P. Wintergreen wintergreen or checkerberry, low evergreen plant (Gaultheria procumbens) of the family Ericaceae (heath family), native to sandy and acid woods (usually of evergreens) of E North America and frequently cultivated. (Gregory Harrison) land in this mess in the first place? By following the trusted advice of his cigar-chomping aides (Gus Corrado and Craig Wasson) and a Hearst-like newspaper publisher (Lenny Wolpe). Facing the fall campaign, bachelor Wintergreen is persuaded that the best way to whip up voters is to stage a Miss America-style pageant in Atlantic City, with the winner being crowned first lady. But the cold-footed Wintergreen spurns the committee's choice of unreconstructed un·re·con·struct·ed adj. 1. Not reconciled to social, political, or economic change; maintaining outdated attitudes, beliefs, and practices. 2. Not reconciled to the outcome of the American Civil War. Adj. 1. Southern belle Diana Devereaux (Heather Lee) in favor of sunny, girl-next-door intern Mary Turner (the sterling soprano Maureen McGovern). Mary's recipe for cornless corn muffins steals the president's heart, and wins a Supreme Court ruling that corn muffins are more important than justice. That's not enough to stop the White House press corps' tongues from wagging, or the scorned Dixie hellcat from vowing, ``See you in court, y'all!'' at the close of Act 1. Not to worry, though. This is still, at bottom, a lighthearted if trenchant musical comedy, halfway between Gilbert and Sullivan 1. William Schwenk Gilbert erson> and Sir Arthur Sullivan erson>, who collaborated on a number of light operas. See Gilbert. Noun 1. Gilbert and Sullivan - the music of Gilbert and Sullivan; "he could sing all of Gilbert and Sullivan" and the next ``Reprise!'' regular-season offering, ``Fiorello!'' All ends well. Under Arthur Allan Seidelman's direction, the production maintains a tone of charming ingenuousness, never breaking stride or straining to push contemporary parallels. Harrison's Wintergreen, with his square-jawed, matinee-idol good looks, is the very model of the eager-to-please modern politician who essentially stands for nothing. ``He's the one the people choose, loves the Irish and the Jews'' goes the opening ``Wintergreen for President'' number. The once-over-lightly cyncism of that line is as delectable as the timely resonance of the Act 2 moment when a White House tour guide informs a group of visitors that the Oval Office ``is the room in which the president discharges his official duties.'' Note: Not one word has been altered since 1931. The show's spoofy construction means that the pleasant Harrison and McGovern mostly serve as foils to more broadly comic characters, like Lee's pouty Miss Devereaux and Charlie Dell's priceless performance as the milquetoast milque·toast n. One who has a meek, timid, unassertive nature. [After Caspar Milquetoast, a comic-strip character created by Harold Tucker Webster (1885-1952). Sen. Throttlebottom, a vice president so useless that no one remembers his name. Later, Jason Graae gives the production a terrific jolt of energy as a mincing, witheringly indignant French ambassador. Somebody should find this guy a starring musical role in L.A. Though keenly melodic, the score isn't quite as effervescent ef·fer·vesce intr.v. ef·fer·vesced, ef·fer·vesc·ing, ef·fer·vesc·es 1. To emit small bubbles of gas, as a carbonated or fermenting liquid. 2. To escape from a liquid as bubbles; bubble up. 3. as earlier Gershwin shows. You won't find the equivalent here of ``Lady Be Good'' or ``Someone to Watch Over Me Someone to Watch over Me may refer to: In television:
THE FACTS What: ``Of Thee I Sing.'' Where: Freud Playhouse, MacGowan Hall, UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX . When: Performances at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; additional performance 7 p.m. this Sunday, Nov. 15. Through Nov. 22. Tickets: $45, $50. Call (310) 825-2101. Our rating: Three and one half stars. |
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