Review - On Your Toes

Five months... FIVE MONTHS after their previous musical comedy, Jumbo, opened at the Hippodrome, the trio of Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart and George Abbott had a brand new one at the Imperial. But far from seeming a rush job, their 1936 On Your Toes can easily be argued to be a huge step forward in refining musical comedy into a sophisticated art form.

After making his musical theatre debut as co-director of Jumbo, George Abbott, who as a director and bookwriter would become a major force in taking the humor of Broadway musicals from specialty bits performed by well-known comics to something that naturally evolved from the plot and characters, collaborated with R&H on his first book, using the then up-to-the-minute theme of how American jazz was still struggling for acceptance from "serious" classical institutions. On Your Toes concerns a childhood song and dance vaudevillian, Junior Dolan, now a grown up music professor for the WPA, who tries to get a jazz ballet composed by one of his students performed by a prestigious Russian Dance Company. But when the lead male dancer can't adjust to the new syncopation, the former hoofer jumps in to save the day, though he winds up dancing for his life during the premiere while trying to avoid a hit man's bullet.

The Rodgers and Hart score, a divine assemblage of wit and tenderness set to showtune, Broadway jazz and imitations of more cultured tones, sets a fine example of how the scores of musicals were growing more character specific. Two of the more jaggedly syncopated numbers are meant to be examples of the songwriting skills of the musical's ingénue, Frankie Frayne (who has a crush on the professor) and are filled with jaunty quips like, "It's got to be love. / It couldn't be tonsillitis. / It feels like neuritis / But nevertheless it's love," and "They fly the clouds to come through with air mail. / The dancing crowds look up to some rare male / Like that Astaire male." But when Frankie sings her own emotions as part of the plot, they come out in a simpler voice. Her duet with Junior, "There's A Small Hotel," is a lovely example of plainspoken sincerity and her second act solo, "Glad To Be Unhappy" is a torch song kept on a demurely low flame.

In contrast, Rodgers writes a light minuet as a duet for arts philanthropist Peggy Porterfield and Russian dance impresario Sergei Alexandrovitch that gets its title from twisting FDR's fireside chat promise of a better life for the average man. Hart's lyric derives punch lines from worldlier issues like psychoanalysis, elective surgery and reproductive rights. ("Lots of kids for a poor wife are dandy, / Girls of fashion can be choosy. / Birth control and the modus operandi / Are much too good for the average floozy.")

But, of course, what On Your Toes is known for is the ballets that end each act. Rodgers composed La Princesse Zenobia in the style of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, but Slaughter On Tenth Avenue is a striking composition based on multiple jazz themes - comical, sensual and frantic - that ranks up there with Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue as a great American orchestral piece. George Balanchine, the first ever to be credited as the choreographer of a Broadway musical ("dance directors" were commonly used to simply supply steps) is said to have taken great joy in spoofing his Russian roots for Zenobia (The Bolshoi Ballet, which was in town during the musical's run, took out an ad in the program that proclaimed, "Only The Great Deserve The Darts of Satire.") but Slaughter, the story of a sensual dance hall encounter between a strip-tease artist and a customer that turns violent, is a masterful achievement in musical theatre dance; illuminating the show's theme of American popular arts evolving in complexity. Though both ballets can stand as individual pieces, Balanchine and the bookwriters incorporated events from the plot that spill into their performances, thus making them an essential part of the storytelling.

But what makes On Your Toes a perfect selection for the Encores! concert series is the chance to hear Hans Spialek's extraordinary orchestrations; one of the 75 sets he created for Broadway, including the original productions of Anything Goes, Pal Joey and Where's Charley? Under Rob Fisher's baton, the 29-piece Encores! orchestra impersonates vaudeville pit musicians, a rousing big band, a chamber ensemble and a grand ballet orchestra.

Putting up a concert version of any musical with the limited amount of rehearsal time the unions specify is a difficult task, so while you can nitpick about details of director/choreographer Warren Carlyle's production, the fact that so much is done so well is a reason to celebrate. Those familiar with Slaughter will recognize the Balanchine staging replicated by Susan Pilarre, assigned to the task by the late choreographer's trust, but Carlyle mounts the rest, including an austere and regal Zenobia and the third major choreographed moment, a freewheeling challenge routine between American tappers and Russian pointe dancers, which is loaded with some dazzling inventiveness.

The lead role of Junior has been traditionally played by dancers with a knack for the eccentric (Ray Bolger originated the part and Bobby Van and Lara Teeter starred in Broadway revivals.), but Shonn Wiley, a fine performer, comes off more as a traditional juvenile and his comic moments fail to pop out. (It doesn't help that Zenobia's major sight gag involving Junior's body makeup is altered to a far less effective bit.) Still, he sings with charm when paired with Kelli Barrett's spunky Frankie.

Christine Baranski's dry urbane way with wit fits perfectly into her role as a wealthy patron of the arts, especially when delivering the book's most famous punch line, a reaction to Junior's inquiry as to whether a good man can love two women at the same time. The thickly accented Walter Bobbie is delightfully snooty as Sergei and the trio of Karen Ziemba, Randy Skinner and Dalton Harrod get the evening off to a rousing start, singing and tapping as mom and pop Dolan and Junior as a lad.

Encores! raids the professional ballet ranks for the show's two non-singing dance roles. In her first speaking part on stage, Irina Dvorovenko of American Ballet Theatre seems to be having a grand time as Vera Baronova, the Russian diva who flirts with Junior to infuriate her cheating lover, comically tempting him with her droll accent and sinewy sensuality. Her dancing shines with charisma, as does that of Joaquin De Luz who wows the patrons with his shirtless athleticism in Zenobia while playing her arrogantly masculine other half.

Meanwhile, almost exactly one year after On Your Toes opened, Rodgers and Hart opened Babes In Arms, with a score containing five songs that are still today considered classics of the American Songbook. Maybe we'd have better musicals on Broadway if people didn't spend so much time writing them.

Photos by Joan Marcus: Top: Shonn Wiley and Irina Dvorovenko; Bottom: Christine Baranski and Walter Bobbie.

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Yes, I know, it's a secret ballot. But heck, I spend all year telling you what I think so I may as well reveal how I voted for this season's Outer Critics Circle Awards, the winners of which will be announced on Monday.

My votes are highlighted in bold, but remember, there are no write-in votes so my choices here may not necessarily reflect what I would pick as the best of the season. After I cast my votes for the Drama Desk awards, I'll be sharing those with you, too.

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY
Grace
Lucky Guy
The Nance
The Testament of Mary
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL
Chaplin
A Christmas Story
Hands on a Hardbody
Kinky Boots
Matilda

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
Bad Jews
Cock
My Name is Asher Lev
Really Really
The Whale

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
February House
Dogfight
Giant
Here Lies Love
Murder Ballad

OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Cinderella
Chaplin
Dogfight
Kinky Boots
Matilda

OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE
Chaplin
Dogfight
Hands on a Hardbody
Here Lies Love
Kinky Boots

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Golden Boy
Orphans
The Piano Lesson
The Trip to Bountiful
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Annie
Cinderella (Although I still insist this is a new musical.)
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Passion
Pippin

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Pam MacKinnon Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nicholas Martin Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Jack O'Brien The Nance
Bartlett Sher Golden Boy
Michael Wilson The Trip to Bountiful

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Warren Carlyle Chaplin
Scott Ellis The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Jerry Mitchell Kinky Boots
Diane Paulus Pippin
Alex Timbers Here Lies Love

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER
Warren Carlyle Chaplin
Peter Darling Matilda
Jerry Mitchell Kinky Boots
Josh Rhodes Cinderella
Chet Walker Pippin

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
John Lee Beatty The Nance
Rob Howell Matilda
David Korins Here Lies Love
Scott Pask Pippin
Michael Yeargan Golden Boy

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Amy Clark & Martin Pakledinaz Chaplin
Gregg Barnes Kinky Boots
Dominique Lemieux Pippin
William Ivey Long Cinderella
William Ivey Long The Mystery of Edwin Drood

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Ken Billington Chaplin
Paul Gallo Dogfight
Donald Holder Golden Boy
Kenneth Posner Cinderella
Kenneth Posner Pippin

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Tom Hanks Lucky Guy
Shuler Hensley The Whale
Nathan Lane The Nance
Tracy Letts Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
David Hyde Pierce Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Tracee Chimo Bad Jews
Amy Morton Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Vanessa Redgrave The Revisionist
Joely Richardson Ivanov
Cicely Tyson The Trip to Bountiful

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Bertie Carvel Matilda
Santino Fontana Cinderella
Rob McClure Chaplin
Billy Porter Kinky Boots
Matthew James Thomas Pippin

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Lilla Crawford Annie
Valisia LeKae Motown
Lindsay Mendez Dogfight
Patina Miller Pippin
Laura Osnes Cinderella

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Danny Burstein Golden Boy
Richard Kind The Big Knife
Jonny Orsini The Nance
Tony Shalhoub Golden Boy
Tom Sturridge Orphans

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Cady Huffman The Nance
Judith Ivey The Heiress
Judith Light The Assembled Parties
Kristine Nielsen Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Vanessa Williams The Trip to Bountiful

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Will Chase The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Dan Lauria A Christmas Story
Raymond Luke Motown
Terrence Mann Pippin
Daniel Stewart Sherman Kinky Boots

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Annaleigh Ashford Kinky Boots
Victoria Clark Cinderella
Charlotte d'Amboise Pippin
Andrea Martin Pippin
Keala Settle Hands on a Hardbody

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Bette Midler I'll Eat You Last
Martin Moran All the Rage
Fiona Shaw The Testament of Mary
Holland Taylor Ann
Michael Urie Buyer & Cellar

John Gassner AWARD
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Ayad Akhtar Disgraced
Paul Downs Colaizzo Really Really
Joshua Harmon Bad Jews
Samuel D. Hunter The Whale
Aaron Posner My Name is Asher Lev

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