The Royal George, the Shaw Festival's tiny, ornate jewel box theater, was once a vaudeville house, entertaining soldiers stationed at Fort Niagara. Now it is home to the Shaw's annual musical theater production, a small, intimate vintage musical that falls within the festival's mandate to present productions written during the lifetime of George Bernard Shaw (1850-1956). Recently the mandate has been expanded to include plays about the period during which he lived.
"On the Twentieth Century," with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Cy Coleman, fits the new mandate. The original musical, based on the comedy "Twentieth Century" by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, opened on Broadway in 1978. Nominated for nine Tony awards and winning five, it ran for 450 performances.
The musical takes place in the 1930s aboard the Twentieth Century Limited, a famous train which ran between Chicago and New York City. It begins in Union Station, Chicago, where we are introduced to a stranded theater company. A production about Joan of Arc has just closed and here are the thespians still in costume, one even clutching a cross. Its flamboyant producer, Oscar Jaffee (Gary Krawford), is down on his luck. He boards the train heading to New York City in hopes of getting his former lover, movie star Lily Garland (Patty Jamieson), to sign a contract with him for a play that doesn't exist. The problem is that Lily knows Oscar all too well and is skillful at avoiding his contracts. Years back, Oscar discovered her when she was a pianist accompanying a terrible singer auditioning for a part. Oscar gave Lily the part instead, and her career flourished. The same cannot be said of Oscar's career. Oscar and his henchmen, Owen and Oliver (hilariously played by Patrick R. Brown and William Vickers), try every trick in the book. Oscar even fakes his own imminent death, but Lily knows better.
The storyline is light and frivolous, but funny. The music is good, though not particularly memorable. Co-directors Patricia Hamilton and Valerie Moore do a fine job, as does Musical Director Paul Sportelli. Choreography is by Valerie Moore. Kudos to Yvonne Sauriol for set and costume design. Simulating the large train on such a small stage is a remarkable accomplishment. The acting is good throughout, not just in the lead performances, but in smaller ones as well.
"On the Twentieth Century" plays in repertory until Nov. 2. Take a trip on the famous train. It beats the fast-paced travel of today.
Tickets are available by calling 1-800-511-7429 or through the Shaw Festival Web site at www.shawfest.com. Tickets are also available at the Box Office, located in the Shaw Shop at 79 Queen St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | July 15 2003 |