Review: THE WILD PARTY at MPAA Saint-Germain-des-Près

Almost 5 years after the run at the Theatre de Ménilmontant the semiprofessional company 27 Saville is revisiting Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party for 5 performances at the MPAA Saint-Germain-des-Près.

Unlike most musicals now based on famous movies The Wild Party, like Cats, is based on a poem, this one composed by Joseph Moncure March. Originally produced Off Broadway by the Manhattan Theater Club, it had the tough luck of being mounted in the same season as Michael John LaChiusa' production, starring Toni Colette, Mandy Patinkin and, in her last Broadway appearance, the legendary Eartha Kit. The two versions of The Wild Party are markedly different in their storylines. In Lippa's version, the plot is tightly focused on the central love triangle of Joseph Moncure March's poem, while in the LaChiusa play, also centered around the love triangle, has fifteen characters, nearly all of whom are given story arcs of their own. Within those individual stories, broader themes such as racism, sexism, bisexuality, anti-Semitism, and the concept of the American Dream are included.

There are major differences in the music and tone of the two shows as well. While Lippa takes a more abstract approach to his compositions and orchestrations, the LaChiusa score is both more traditional in terms of musical theatre conventions as well as more in tune with the period of the roaring 20s. In the end Lippa's score is more accessible to modern audiences with songs such as "Raise the Roof," which have been recorded by many popular artists, including Bette Midler and Peter Cincotti, and which are frequently used on the cabaret circuit. The book of the LaChiusa's version by George C. Wolfe is clearer and less abstract than Lippa's, which is almost sung-through. Both ended up being huge flops, but they are frequently revived nowadays, especially as school or amateur productions.

With 22 people on stage and 6 musicians, this new version of The Wild Party, with French super-titles, is of a very grand scale. The choreography by Clément Ropers is clearly the best thing about the production, throwing in a lot of Fosse arm-work and attitude to good effects, even if this sometimes takes the audience's attention off the actors performing on the other side of the stage. After all, even if The Wild Party is no Chicago or Cabaret, it is about divine decadence, so that excess of movement really fits the bill and helps cover over the weaknesses and occasional incoherencies of the book. Pascale Topige, assisted by Avery Grant as Madeleine, is quite efficient, although we could have done without the whole cast on stage most of the time. That would have perhaps made us focus more on the drama involving the principles.

There might be just too many ensemble dance numbers, even though they are always entertaining and well-executed, especially with standouts such as the androgynous Man in White, who starts the play out in silence before the entrance of 27 Saville's founder Jessica Capon, bringing maturity to the leading role of Queenie and conviction to the dramatic closing scenes, which adds a touch of emotion too this otherwise cold piece. Axel Prioton Alcala, despite some overacting, is also quite good as Burrs, the pervert-clown (a cross between the MC in Cabaret and the Joker).

All in all, a very entertaining version of a flawed but very rich musical with a lot to be discovered, mainly its versatile and quite tuneful score by Andrew Lippa.

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