Review: NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT Has a Fascinating Rhythm

It's wonderful. It's marvelous. And if Tuesday's immediate standing ovation was any indication, you will more than care for the new Gershwin musical, "Nice Work If You Can Get It," playing through Sunday at Sacramento's Music Circus. But watch out for that demon rum. You may just end up swinging by a chandelier.

Based on the 1926 musical "Oh, Kay," "Nice Work" features a cast of endearing characters immersed in a little rhythm, lovely melodies and plenty of hijinks. Such old-fashioned, light-hearted song and dance fare is what Music Circus does best, and - as usual - the company brings in a cast of flawless Broadway veterans.

Matt Loehr (Broadway's "Book of Mormon") is adorably naïve rich boy Jimmy, preparing for his fourth marriage with a night at the Speakeasy. His chosen wife: Eileen Evergreen, modern interpreter of dance (the "delishious" Paige Faure). Just one problem - Jimmy's previous wife has yet to sign the annulment papers. Make that two problems - bootleggers are stashing their product in Jimmy's honeymoon mansion cellar. Or maybe three problems - Jimmy has fallen in love with a bootlegger named Billie (the enchanting Kristie Kerwin). And those problems don't even include the hilarious revelations in store for the show's fabulous finale.

"Nice Work" serves up one diverting moment after another next to well-known songs including "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." We witness the head of the Society for Dry Women (Madeline Doherty) belt the evils of alcohol with her dancing vice squad. We fall in love with Jimmy's bootlegging fake butler, Cookie McGee (Michael Kostroff). And we "blah, blah, blah" the sweet romance between girl-shy Duke Mahoney (Mark Bradley Miller) and ambitious chorus girl Jeannie Muldoon (Holly Ann Butler).

Ron Wisniski, Rich Hebert, Jamie Jones and a fantastic ensemble also have fun moments (and a few timely political jabs) in this production for which one could not sing enough praises. The several outstanding tap and dance numbers and superb direction by Charles Repole leave the audience happily wishing the cast would "Do, Do, Do," "Do It Again."

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NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT
California Musical Theatre
Music Circus at the Wells Fargo Pavillion
Through August 14
www.CALMT.com

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