'Palm Beach' takes on the Pacific - Review

The La Jolla Playhouse has an illustrious history of nurturing new musical works, including three Tony Award winners, "Big River," "The Who's Tommy" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie." While not quite on par with those smash Broadway hits, the new musical Palm Beach proves that when it comes to Regional Theatre, La Jolla is at the top of its game.

Based on the screwball style of the great films of Preston Sturges, with a little bit of farce throw in, "Palm Beach," with a book from Robert Cary and Benjamin Feldman, music by David Gursky, with lyrics by Robert Cary and directed by Des McAnuff, tells the tale of Liz Hasselbrack, a jilted 1930's New York showgirl who heads to Palm Beach hoping to charm her way into the arms of a rich bachelor as a way of getting back at her two-timing newspaper reporter boyfriend, Maxwell Cooper. On her way there, she meets the most eligible of all wealthy playboys, Lance Fitch, who promptly takes her home to meet his family and announces their engagement to ensure his proper place as the heir to the family fortune, much to the consternation of his sister, Jessica, a man-eating, yet business saavy Anna Wintour-type, who had hoped to take over the business.

To add fuel to this already combustible powder keg, there is also the story Jimmy, who was left on the Fitch's doorstep as a baby, and subsequently raised to be a family servant. He is also in love with the Fitch's other daughter, Victoria, and when she rejected his advances to his lower class standing, he set out to make his fortune to win her hand in marriage. Unfortunately, his departure coincides with the disappearance of a valuable family jewel, so Maxwell, the reporter who lost Liz, shows up at the Fitch mansion acting as a servant, in an attempt to break the case of the jewel theft from the estate.

Phew! And that is all set up in just the first 25 minutes or so, and done quite well under the skillful direction of McAnuff. However, the rest of the first act drags on, seemingly unsure where to take our characters, choosing instead to simply retread all the conflicts and confusion of the initial premise. Choreographer Debbie Roshe adds a jolt of life to the proceedings with a great tap number, To Serve You, but the energy quickly diminishes, not to return again until the second act.

In addition, while the first scene seems to set up the main coupling of Liz and Maxwell (and the order of the curtain call reinforces), both have very little to do in the first act, and Liz doesn't even get her own song until Act Two. Instead, the direction and focus is muddled, jumping from one couple to the next, all with layers upon layers of mixed identities and innocuous confusion.

However, the second act, finally brings the story into focus, with the arrival of Leo McKnight, a nightclub singer who also happens to be the lover of our debonair heir Lance Fitch! The injection of yet another person into the play does not add confusion, but actually helps the rest of the story coalesce. This new dimension to the Lance Fitch story drives the second act, and helps to bring resolution to the remaining storylines. In addition, it brings the best song of the evening, "A Bad Man is Easy to Find," sung by Victoria and Liz, which – if the rest of the score were as strong – would make this show a true Broadway contender.

At the end of the show, everything finally comes together, though not in the way you expect – which is a good thing. While some of the twists and turns are easy to see, the end result still brings as smile to your face and finally lives up to the rich film history of screwball comedies.

The acting credits are top notch, and include Broadway veterans Matt Cavenaugh (Lance), Anastasia Barzee (Jessica) and Amanda Watkins (Victoria), though not all are skilled at bringing the kind of madcap characterizations that would make the show truly a hit. Clarke Thorell (the original 'Corky Collins' in "Hairspray – The Musical"), however, does an incredible star turn as Maxwell, and plays his character with gusto and aplomb, with just enough of a smirk to bring the screwball into the show.

All the production credits are top notch, from the sets to the costumes, although the orchestration was minimal and many times lacking the kind of umph that might otherwise make the score soar.

In all, while the show has its share of problems, in the end, it still makes for an enjoyable evening. The majority of the crowd was riveted throughout the two hours, and more than a few people were overheard at intermission telling their friends what a wonderful time they were having.

So while La Jolla may not have another Tony Award winning new musical on their hands, they certainly have a homegrown hit that should be encouraged, as it will fuel the creative fires for their next great show… which I, for one, can't wait to see.

"Palm Beach – The Screwball Musical," is on stage now through July 10th at the La Jolla Playhouse, with performances Monday – Friday @ 8pm, Saturdays @ 2pm & 8pm, and Sundays @ 2pm and 7pm. You can purchase tickets by phone at 858-550-1010, online at www.lajollaplayhouse.com, or in person at the box office located at 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla, CA 92039.

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