"The Andrews Brothers," Musical Theatre West, Long Beach, CA
Even Rosie couldn’t rivet us to our seats for Roger Bean’s foot-stomping The Andrews Brothers, directed by Nick DeGruccio, with musical direction by John Glaudini, and staged at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center.
Musical Theatre West presents us with an exuberant love story. A love story between two characters on an island in the South Pacific. A love story between a nation and their troops stationed overseas. And a love story between a theatrical company and musical performance.
Especially the latter. This production indicates yet again that Musical Theatre West is at the top of their game. They continue to stage shows that resonate with walkaway buzz. Each production sizzles. Each exudes energy. MTW is one of the best games in town and, indeed, sets the mark for musical theatre is southern California.
A trio of stagehands, Lawrence (Stan Chandler), Patrick (Larry Raven), and Max (David Engel), last name of Andrews, hence, The Andrews Brothers, prepare one last USO show, which headlines The Andrews Sisters, before the troops ship out.
Potential disasters looms when one of the Sisters falls sick.
Fear not. With the assistance of pin up girl Peggy Jones (Darcie Roberts), the Sisters’ warm-up act, along with some hilarious makeup, a lot of moxie (they do it in drag!), some excellent song and dance, and a ton of spirit, they don’t just wing it through the greatest songs of the greatest generation, they have the audience laughing, humming, and toe-tapping throughout the show.
Nothing beats this for pure entertainment value.
It’s a jolt of adrenaline that lasts for the better part of two hours. You jitterbug and swing through such classics as Rum & Coca cola, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar, and Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive. You luxuriate in Kevin Clowes’s set design that puts you right there in the South Pacific and Steven Young’s lighting that captures the passing of time. You just wish he could make it stand still.
It makes you appreciate the same warm and fuzzy feeling that soldiers would feel when the USO and Bob Hope trooped into their home base. Far away from home and yet not far away from home. What a wonderful message.
To set the mood MTW projected propaganda cartoons and newsreel of USO performances and evenings at the Hollywood Canteen onto the screen before the show and during intermission.
Chandler, Engel, and Raben were hilarious when they were purposefully clumsy but when they began to sing you forgot that they were wearing dresses (not so well), makeup (even worse), and could barely walk (much less dance) in heels.
Roberts rocks. She nails her back-story as a simple old girl from Washington State. She’s vivacious and pert. She’s got a wholesome swagger and an angelic voice.
Performances are 8pm, Thu – Sat, 2pm, Sun. The show runs until May 4. Tickets are $25-53. The Performing Art Center is located at 6200 Atherton Street, on the CSULB campus. For more information call 856-1999 x4 or visit www.musical.org.
