A Review

Tap Your Troubles Away

By R. J. Donovan

Under the direction of Robert J. Eagle, the summer season at Reagle Players is wrapping up with a production of the twenties musical "No, No, Nanette." Perfect entertainment for a breezy summer's night, the show is a callback to those light and airy shows of a different era, when stage musicals were merely an excuse for stringing great songs together.

Music is by Vincent Youmans with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach. The show's book is by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel.

The plot is sweet and innocent, as was the style of the times. Young Nanette is in a quandary. She lives with her rich and loving guardians, Aunt Sue and Uncle Jimmy, who suppress her every yearning for a little fun in life. She longs to visit Atlantic City and attend a party without a chaperone. They try, diligently, to protect her from the wilder side of the Roaring Twenties, constantly reprimanding her with a stern but loving "no, no, Nanette."

However it turns out Uncle Jimmy has been dabbling in the scandalous life from which he longs to protect his young ward. Although happily married, he's been keeping company with three lovely young ladies in three different towns (photo below). Even this is innocent as he's never laid a hand on any one of them. Still, it could become a problem as he's made his fortune publishing Bibles. So he calls in his faithful friend and lawyer to sort things out. Mistaken identities and multiple plot twists soon abound.

Conveniently for the storyline, Sue and Jimmy just happen to own a cottage in Atlantic City, where everyone sneaks off to without telling any of the others. More misunderstandings surface, tempers flare and blackmail rears its ugly head. But fear not, everyone sings and dances throughout. (Hats off to choreographer Eileen Grace.)

"No, No, Nanette" first hit the stage in the twenties, but it continues to be a popular title due to a dazzling Broadway revival in 1971. Ruby Keeler came out of retirement to kick up her heels and star in the show, which has lived on thanks to an original cast album that also features Bobby Van, Helen Gallagher and Jack Gilford. Only months ago, the City Center Encore! series of semi-staged musicals in New York mounted a short-run concert production of the show starring Sandy Duncan, Rosie O'Donnell and Tony Award-winning Beth Leavel.

The Reagle production happily shows off the musical skills of its large cast, starting with the very talented Mary Jane Houdina as Aunt Sue, who headlines the two big tap numbers.

The first act features a clever rendition of "I Want To Be Happy," which starts off as a soft and low duet for Uncle Jimmy (Harold "Jerry" Walker) and Nanette (Jessica Greeley). However, the thing builds and builds into a dynamic production number with Houdina leading the entire company. Act Two comes to a conclusion with the other big dance number, "Take A Little One Step," also featuring the company, and also led by Houdina.

As in previous Reagle productions, the chorus is well rehearsed and very tight. And as was the case in shows of the era, the chorus pretty much exists purely for the big production numbers, suddenly appearing out of nowhere to dance their hearts out.

Broadway's Donna McKechnie (at left with Russell Rhodes) is billed above the title of the show, and when I first learned about the production, I assumed the Tony Award winning dancer would be doing these big numbers. However, here she plays Lucille, best friend to Aunt Sue.

As such, she gets the first big number of the night, "Too Many Rings Around Rosie," as well as the second act torch song, "Where-Has-My-Hubby-Gone Blues." She's a treat to see and looks great in some lovely costumes.

In addition to Walker as the sweetly philandering Uncle Jimmy and Greely who sings beautifully as Nanette, the company also includes: Reagle repeater Russell Rhodes as Billy the lawyer (husband to Lucille), who shows off his considerable dancing skills in "Call Of The Sea" and "You Can Dance With Any Girl At All" (his duet with McKechnie); and Jason Michael Butler as Tom, legal assistant to Billy and beau to Nanette. Butler and Greeley have a sweet duet in "I've Confessed To The Breeze."

The surprise of the night was Waltham Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy playing the wisecracking housekeeper, Pauline (played in the Broadway revival by the smart-mouthed Patsy Kelly). Pauline is constantly complaining about her sad lot in life and spends a good deal of the show threatening to quit the madness that swirls around her in Jimmy and Sue's mansion.

McCarthy was onstage alone when the curtain rose at the top of the show, and the hand she got from the locals was tremendous. Over the next two hours she did nothing to disappoint, tossing off barbs with the best of them.

The opening night crowd included several cast members from Reagle's previous production of "Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," including "American Idol" competitor, Ayla Brown.

And as a side note to those who caught that excellent production of "Joseph," Eric Kunze, who played the title role, has just begun performances of "Evita" at California's Sacramento Music Circus where he's playing Che, the role created by Mandy Patinkin on Broadway. His Evita is Julia Murney, who wowed Boston audiences as Elphaba in the national tour of "Wicked."

""No, No, Nanette" is at Robinson Theatre in Waltham through August 16. For information, call 781-891-5600.

-- OnStage Boston