Little Me, the 1962 Neil Simon/Cy Coleman/Carolyn Leigh
musical, is probably not a rare undervalued masterpiece that needs to be
lovingly restored to appreciate its true worth. But the current joyful production by Encores! is as welcome as a cup of
hot chocolate laced with whipped cream during these snowy, icy, sleety,
bitterly cold days and dreary nights that have been the hallmark of this winter
in New York.
Little Me is a laugh-filled show with TV sketch comedy roots
(Simon famously launched his career writing skits for Sid Caesar, who starred
in the original Broadway production) and a tuneful score, with music by Coleman
and lyrics by Leigh.
The story unfolds through the frame of depicting the writing
of the memoirs of the fictional stage, screen, and television star Belle
Poitrine, as told to “Patrick Dennis,” the pen name of the author of the book
on which the musical is based (as well as the author of the more highly
successful Auntie Mame).
But even though Belle’s life story provides the shape for the show, the musical rises or falls on the strength of the male lead, who portrays
7 different men in Belle’s life, most of whom die before the end.
With the Encores! production, we are most fortunate in that
the shoulders on whom this task falls belong to Christian Borle, who has a keen
and mischievous sense of comic timing reminiscent of Groucho Marx or Charlie
Chaplin (this was even truer of Borle’s performance as Black Stache in Peter
and the Starcatcher).
Borle runs on and off the stage, going through quick costume
and personality changes throughout the entire show. (This includes the
requisite gag where he has to “ad lib” a cover-up for an incomplete change in
appearance). The best of these characterizations is that of Fred Poitrine, the
terribly nearsighted and socially inept World War I doughboy, who endearingly
sings “Real Live Girl” to Belle, and marries her just in time to legitimize the
ensuing birth of her daughter before he marches off to his untimely death by
paper cut.
As good as Borle is, this is far from a one-person show,
which boasts wonderful performances from the entire cast, including Rachel York
as the young Belle; the marvelous Judy Kaye as the older Belle; Tony Yazbeck as
George, the boy-next-door turned hotshot nightclub owner (he delivers a
terrific “I’ve Got Your Number”); Harriet Harris as the snobbish mother of
Noble, Belle’s one true love; and Lee Wilkof and Lewis J. Stadlen as Belle’s
agents, the Buchsbaum brothers. Stadlen,
who most recently appeared with Nathan Lane in The Nance, is another theatrical
stalwart who took the world by storm when he gloriously pulled off the
multiple-roles acting feat by playing five characters in the acclaimed 1974
revival of Candide.
This production also boasts outstanding work by the singers
and dancers of the chorus. And might I
add, the choreography by Joshua Bergasse is so creative it is a wonder to me
he has not become a major Broadway fixture.
With Little Me, Encores! is entering its 21st
year of producing short-term revivals of Broadway musicals, and it almost seems
to top itself year after year.
Minimalist set designs have become increasingly clever (the sinking of
The Gigantic in Little Me could give Titanic: The Musical a run for its money at the
concert production at Avery Fisher Hall later this month), and the eschewing of
script-in-hand performances by the cast is becoming more and more de
rigueur.
A shout-out to director John Rando and music director Rob
Berman, as well as to everyone involved with this production. They should all join Belle in raising a glass
and singing: Here’s to us, my darling my
dear/Here’s to us tonight!
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