FROM THE MOUTHS OF 'BABES' COMES A GREAT SHOW.Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor A HALFWAY-DECENT community theater group almost couldn't fail putting on the 1937 Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart musical ``Babes in Arms armed for war; in a state of hostility. See also: Arms ,'' which is the ultimate come-on-kids-let's-put-on-a-show show. After all, four of the songs - ``I Wish I Were in Love Again,'' ``Where or When,'' ``My Funny Valentine'' and ``The Lady Is a Tramp'' - are classics of the American songbook. But hearing and seeing the talented cast of the 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. ! production of ``Babes,'' which opened at UCLA's Freud Playhouse on Wednesday night, proved especially delightful. Gone are the days when Reprise! cast members carried their scripts. These ``Babes'' are polished singers and dancers, and the production is sharp. A 13-piece orchestra conducted by Gerald Sternbach is nested in a loft toward the back of the stage, while the action takes place on a set that doubles as a stage, a barn and even a hotel room. The choreography includes some lively and fun - though not overly demanding - tap numbers, which the cast pulled off winningly. This despite having reason to be nervous. Sitting in the audience was dance legend Fayard Nicholas Fayard Nicholas (October 20, 1914 – January 24, 2006) was a tap dancer, one-half of the famous Nicholas Brothers, along with his brother, Harold. With his brother, both starred in several MGM musicals such as [An All-Colored Vaudeville Show (1935), The Pirate (1948) and The , the 89-year-old surviving Nicholas Brother. He and his brother, Harold, were in the original 1937 ``Babes.'' If you've only seen the 1939 Busby Berkeley version The Berkeley Version in Modern English Containing the Old and New Testaments, was first published in 1958 by Zondervan Publishing House. The New Testament had appeared in 1945. of ``Babes,'' which starred Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, it bears little resemblance to the Broadway show, though the plots are both musical-comedy simple. The Reprise! production uses a 1959 update by George Oppenheimer; so it includes references to Marlon Brando Marlon Brando, Jr. (April 3 1924 – July 1 2004) was an Academy Award-winning American actor whose body of work spanned over half a century. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors of all time. , Tennessee Williams and Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Bardot (French IPA: [bʀi'ʒit baʀ'do]) (born September 28, 1934) is a BAFTA Awards-nominated French actress, former fashion model, singer, known nationalist, animal rights activist, and considered the . The story involves a group of aspiring thespians at a Cape Cod Cape Cod, narrow peninsula of glacial origin, 399 sq mi (1,033 sq km), SE Mass., extending 65 mi (105 km) E and N into the Atlantic Ocean. It is generally flat, with sand dunes, low hills, and numerous lakes. theater who are trying to mount their own musical - coincidentally called ``Babes in Arms'' - written by one of their own, Valentine White (former New Kid On the Block Joey McIntyre). This they do while slaving for the theater's co-owner Seymour Fleming (Steve Vinovich), who is staging a drama of dubious merit called ``The Deep North,'' because Phyllis Owen (veteran actress Ruta Lee) has put up the money, wanting her daughter, Jennifer (Jenna Leigh Green Jenna Leigh Green (born August 22, 1974), an American actress, grew up in Simi Valley, California with her twin sister Jessica and younger sister Rebecca. Jenna started to perform in many school and local community productions at age 12. ), a onetime Hollywood child star, to begin a legitimate theater career. Love - as expected - complicates matters. One of the Babes, Susie (Bets Malone), has fallen for Val, who is infatuated in·fat·u·at·ed adj. Possessed by an unreasoning passion or attraction. in·fat  u·at with Jennifer, who is infatuated back but who really wants big Broadway producer Steve Edwards (Rick D. Wasserman). Meanwhile two other Babes - Gus (Jeffrey Schecter) and Terry (Beth Malone) - are simultaneously loving or fighting and shining in their duet ``I Wish I Were in Love Again.'' One person not in love is Bunny (Jodi Benson), the theater's other owner, who the Babes are trying to help get out of debt to Seymour. Benson - the voice of Ariel in Disney's ``The Little Mermaid'' - is sensational. While two of her numbers - ``Way Out West on West End Avenue'' and ``Johnny One Note'' - aren't well-known, Benson's panache and strong vocals made them highlights of the evening. And her version of ``The Lady Is a Tramp'' dumped the usual cloying cuteness for gritty heartfelt soul. Others had their moments to shine. The red-haired Bets Malone as Susie showed off a lovely voice on ``My Funny Valentine,'' and dark-haired Beth Malone (no, this is not a typo typo - typographical error ) as Terry sparkled as singer, dancer and comic relief. There were more, but the ultimate strength of this ``Babes'' was the ensemble work. (The same kind of enthusiasm you'd expect from an amateur community theater, only with real professionalism.) Sure, there were a couple of missteps throughout the evening, but as an elderly gentleman noted on the way out, ``You know it's a good show when everybody leaving has a smile on their face.'' Point well taken. Rob Lowman, (818) 713-3687 robert.lowman(at)dailynews.com BABES IN ARMS - Three and one half stars Where: Freud Playhouse, 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: 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; through Sept. 21. Tickets: $60 to $65. Call (310) 825-2101. In a nutshell: These babes can really sing and dance. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Joey McIntyre leads a number in the Reprise! production of ``Babes in Arms'' at UCLA. |
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