DAMES AT SEA is a tap-happy celebration of the golden era of movie musicals with a heart as big as the ocean! Directed and choreographed by the three-time Tony Award-nominated choreographer Randy Skinner (42nd Street, Irving Berlin's White Christmas), this gem of a show has been reimagined for the bright lights of Broadway and taken to glamorous and spectacular new heights! Featuring rollicking tap dancing, love at first sight, joyful music and a boatload of laughs, this glittering musical extravaganza has everything you need for an unforgettable night at the theatre.
Originally staged in 1966, but never before on Broadway, 'Dames at Sea' is a spoof of those old-fashioned, Depression-era 'backstage' musicals...It's one of those wink-wink, nudge-nudge shows...that seeks to make fun of corny Broadway conventions, all the while luxuriating in the cornfields...Even the silliest spoof, though, demands a measure of humility, whereas from the shrill opening number, 'Wall Street,' 'Dames at Sea' is pitched at those sitting in the balcony of the theater across the street. The frantic pacing never allows us develop even the slightest emotional connection to the characters, and the brassy, cutesy songs...soon start to blur together. Points to the impressive cast of six, especially in the breathless tap dancing numbers...But a little of this elbowing-in-the-ribs goes an awfully long way.
Boiled down to basic ingredients, the most cheerful tuners often share the same quirky, classic DNA: tap-dancing showstoppers, Broadway chorus lines, and for an inexplicable reason, boats. All are on display in Dames at Sea...but optimism alone can't keep a one-note ship afloat for too long...Under Skinner's uneven direction, the production waffles between a nicely prepared inside joke and the clunky result of its own satire. He vacillates between parody and earnestness, with the former offering genuine moments of humor for the very precise breed of fan who will appreciate them and the latter landing with something of a confusing, elongated thud...Fortunately, the piece's performers are perfectly cast to deliver the very long joke...As this very solid production stands, it's not particularly nautical and not particularly naughty, either. B-
| 1968 | Off-Broadway |
Original Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
| 1969 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 1969 | West End |
London Production West End |
| 1970 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
| 1970 | Regional (US) |
Regional Revival Regional (US) |
| 1973 | Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
Paper Mill Production Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
| 1985 | Regional (US) |
Regional Revival Regional (US) |
| 1985 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
| 1996 | West End |
London Revival West End |
| 2004 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
| 2015 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Randy Skinner |
| 2016 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | Dames at Sea |
| 2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Randy Skinner |
| 2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or off-Broadway) | Dames at Sea |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Randy Skinner |
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