(L to R) Keith Pennings, Mary Kalita, Gary Stanford, Jr. and Debra J. Crenshaw are ready to get the
toes tappin' in The Tabard Theatre Company's production of the Gershwin classic "Lady, Be Good."
Photo by Edmond Kwong
Hijinx and champagne.
There are no better words to describe The Tabard Theatre Company’s newest production, “Lady, Be Good,” opening Friday at Theatre on San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose. Loaded with silliness, armed with sweet feet, and as bubbly as a fresh bottle of Dom, “Lady, Be Good” is ready to pop its proverbial cork.
“The cast came up with words to describe the show such as opulence and elegance and style and light-hearted spirit,” said director Diane Milo. “Then we came up with the word champagne - bubbly, crafty, light and airy. That’s the mood were trying to capture. It transports you to a different time. The whole spirit of the piece is fun and lighthearted.”
“Lady, Be Good” was written by the great brother songwriting duo of George and Ira Gershwin, featuring hits such as “Fascinating Rhythm,” “Hang on to Me,” and “A Wonderful Party.” The show was their first musical collaboration, written in 1924, and ran for 330 performances on Broadway. It featured the brother and sister tandem of Fred and Adele Astaire originating the roles of Dickie and Susie Trevor.
Dickie and Susie run into some serious setbacks when they are evicted from their Rhode Island mansion. While Dickie goes for the jugular and attempts to marry the wealthy socialite Josephine Vanderwater, Susie poses as a Spanish widow in order to claim a $50,000 inheritance. That, as Susie believes, will save her brother from a loveless marriage.
There is no pretense when it comes to what the show is all about. It is fun, it is zany, there is plenty of singing, there is plenty of dancing. And that’s just fine with Milo.
“The stories are through the dancing, so I was at all of the dance rehearsals," said Milo. “That is very different than the way you produce a lot of other musicals. How does this dance relate to the song which is part of the story that it’s telling? It was a very close collaboration between myself and choreographer Dottie Lester-White. The dancing, acting and singing were inseparable in this case.”
And that’s also just fine with Mary Kalita, playing Susie. Kalita is thrilled to be portraying a leading woman that gets to dance so much.
“It’s great as an actor to find a leading role that is so dance heavy,” said Kalita. “I’m trained in ballet, so I find a lot of secondary roles. I’ve really enjoy the challenge of (a dancing lead role).”
Despite the challenges of dancing in every single number and honing in on the specificity of Gershwin melodies that mix and match different styles, those two components don’t compare on the degree of difficulty scale to the acting. “Lady, Be Good” does not have a huge contemporary production history, and no production of this show has ever been produced in the South Bay. Despite the show being one of the most important pieces of the early 20th century, people simply don’t know much about it.
“It’s fun but it’s also been challenging in that it’s an older script,” said Kalita. “It’s very different from what our vernacular is now. Even just learning how people carry themselves has been challenging.”
“It’s a piece that’s rarely done,” said Milo. “In its time, it was one of the most popular and successful shows in the 20’s. And yet it’s one that modern day audiences have never seen. It will be a new experience for just about everyone.”
In the ‘20’s and ‘30’s, the Gershwins dominated the music landscape, until George’s untimely passing in 1937 at age 38. Their musical bond has forever linked them in history. So it is fitting that two brothers wrote a musical about two siblings, with the roles of that musical originated by two siblings. Milo, for one, definitely sees those fingerprints in the show.
“It’s interesting because the relationship between this brother and sister is a real one,” said Milo. “They say things that upset each other, but underneath it all they love each other. That’s absolutely what a real brother and sister relationship will be. They’re willing to do things that aren’t good for themselves in order to help one another.”
EXAMINE IT FOR YOURSELF
The Tabard Theatre Company presents the South Bay premiere of “Lady, Be Good”
Written by George and Ira Gershwin
Directed by Diane Milo
Choreographed by Dottie Lester-White
March 5th – 27th
Tickets start at $10
All performances take place at Theatre on San Pedro Square
29 North San Pedro Street, San Jose, CA 95110
For tickets and more information, call 1-800-838-3006
www.tabardtheatre.org
Email David John Chavez at dchavez04@att.net
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