An
imaginative and irreverent playwright with a thing for time travel and
the musical theater could pen an interesting musical mystery based on
the fatal circumstances surrounding John Kander and Fred Ebb’s musical
Curtains, which is currently onstage at Theatre Memphis. Kander
and Ebb, the innovative songwriting team behind an extensive list of
musicals including Cabaret and Chicago, were
collaborating on Curtains, a whodunit and backstage
comedy/romance, with 1776 author Peter Stone. But before their
work was completed, Stone died of pulmonary fibrosis. Then Ebb died of
a heart attack. And because the show must go on, both men were replaced
by Rupert Holmes, the songwriter/recording artist behind “Escape” (aka
“The Pina Colada Song”).
This isn’t the first time great artists have died to give Holmes an
opportunity to shine. Charles Dickens suffered a stroke, leaving his
Mystery of Edwin Drood unfinished until Holmes stepped in in
1985 and transformed the story into the Tony Award-winning Broadway
musical. Coincidence? Probably so. But Curtains still feels like
a dish prepared by too many cooks, like something that was finished
rather than completed.
In addition to being a mystery without much suspense,
Curtains is a play about a play that’s not quite ready to open.
It’s an unfortunate irony for this frothy throwback to the golden age
of the American musical. In fits and starts, Curtains can be a
great deal of fun.
Director Mitzi Hamilton has a tendency to look for good dancers,
which means her shows don’t always feature the best acting. But in this
case she’s assembled an able cast that knows how to put on the
razzle-dazzle. Her Curtains is sleek and stylish, and that may
be the show’s biggest problem. Even a musical about a troupe of actors
locked in a theater where people are being murdered right and left
needs a little grit. This production is all about broad smiles, cute
dialogue exchanges, and dancing on heavenly, cloud-covered
rooftops.
Marques Brown stands out from the crowd for his upbeat take on
Curtains’ musical-loving crime-scene investigator, but it takes
more than an able actor and an enthusiastic cast to keep this mostly
enjoyable story on track. As a backstage comedy/romance it’s
incomplete, and as a murder mystery it’s awful. In the end,
Curtains is only successful at being a big old-fashioned musical
extravaganza. And if that’s all you’re looking for, this show totally
kills.
Through June 28th
Douglas Carter Beane’s satirical drama The Little Dog Laughed
is, as anyone who ever chanted a certain nursery rhyme might imagine, a
story about laughter, sport, the moon, and dishes running away with
spoons. Now at Circuit Playhouse, it tells the story of Mitchell (John
Moore), a hot but somewhat air-headed film actor on the cusp of
stardom. If only he can hide his slight case of homosexuality long
enough to play a gay man on the big screen, he’ll be on Easy Street.
But Mitchell gets drunk sometimes, and to the amusement and
consternation of his lesbian agent Diane (Irene Crist), he calls
prostitutes. When he falls for Alex, a charming bisexual rent boy (an
understated performance by DJ Hill), the sly comedy turns ever so
slightly in the direction of farce. Diane’s acid tongue has been dipped
in silver, and it never stops wagging, even when she has little to
say.
The Little Dog Laughed aims at easy targets and hits them
easily enough. It’s no stretch to portray Hollywood types as shallow,
fast-talking whores who’ll stab you, rob you, and call you “baby” while
they’re doing it. Likewise, it’s no great revelation that there’s still
a surprising amount of homophobia even in the seemingly gay-friendly
entertainment industry. And although it threatens, the play never
becomes an outright indictment of Tinseltown’s well-documented
hypocrisies.
Although Moore and Hill both do exceptional work, their one big
make-out session feels choreographed and dispassionate. Then, amid a
good deal of slobbery neck-kissing, Hill’s underwear is ripped off and
the audience is given a face full of pale butt and swinging bollocks.
Had a cow subsequently jumped over that ass, the show would have
instantly moved out of the “good but not for everybody” category to a
must-see instant classic. Oh well.
Through July 12th
