Darling of the Day

Music by Jule Styne

Lyrics by E. Y. Harburg

Book by Nunnally Johnson

Revised version by Erik Haagensen

Directed and Choreographer by Rudy Hogenmiller

Produced by Light Opera Works

At McGraw YMCA

1420 Maple

Evanston, IL

Call 847-869-6300, tickets $24 - $39

Fridays & Saturdays at 8 PM

Sundays at 3 PM

Running time 2hrs, 45 min with 2 intermissions

Through November 6, 2005

Darling Edwardian English musical delivers

In 1968, Darling of the Day played to only 35 performances as it was the wrong show, at the wrong time with the wrong leading man---Vincent Price.  Thankfully, there is a cast recording to keep Jule Styne’s music and E. Y. Harburg’s lyrics alive. Now, Light Opera Works, under Rudy Hogenmiller’s smooth flowing direction, Darling of the Day finally has its day! This is a wonderful, cute and very British musical comedy filled with patter songs, romantic ballads, rousing marches and quaint musical hall ditties in the best pub song English tradition. Harburg’s lyrics run from smart to facetious to romantic completed by the satirical poke at British nationalism.

Styne and Harburg’s score, while reminiscent of My Fair Lady and Me and My Girl, contains enough very English wit to please. Nunnally Johnson (revised by Erik Haagensen)’s book has a refreshing plot with a nice premise. A shy painter returns to Britain after 20 years in the South Pacific with his butler who suddenly dies and, in a moment of inspiration, the painter decides to take the butler’s identity.

This decision was set up by the nicely staged opening ensemble number, “He’s A Genius” that, in a classic Broadway style, sets the theme and promise of complications to come. The cute “To Get Out of This Life Alive” has Priam Farll (Roger Mueller in a charming yet vulnerable turn). Farll discovers that his butler was corresponding with a common woman from Putney. When Alice Challice (Mary Ernster in a sweetly doting husband-hunting role) talks the bobby out of arresting Farrl (now Henry Leek, butler) who is fighting mad at his cousin, Duncan (Jamie Axtell deliciously snobbish), Alice decides Leek is her man---after all she paid 5 quid to a Marriage service.

This is a sweet romance between two middle aged folks featuring the shy painter and the determined woman focused on landing another husband. For the famous painter, living with a woman who dotes to his needs allowing him privacy and time to paint, is the ideal stress free life. The charming duet, “Let’s See What Happens” sets the romantic sparks flying. Roger Mueller and Mary Ernster work nicely together.

Alice’s young couples add loyal British neighborly friendship to show. Alf (Phil Higgins full of boyish charm) and his fiancée Daphne (Lauren Creel) with Bert (Karl Sean Hamilton) and Rosie (Elizabeth Haley) sing, dance and deliver humorous moments in numbers like “It’s Enough to Make A Lady Fall in Love,” “A Gentleman’s Gentleman” and “Putney-on-the-Thames.”

Jon Steinhagen, as Oxford, the unscrupulous art dealer and Maggie Clennon Reberg as Lady Vale had several funny scenes and delivered their songs deftly. They were a hoot with the terrific “Panache” song that aptly describes the snobbery of Edwardian England circa 1905. The highlight of the show was the rousing march, “Butler in the Abbey” that is a poke at British patriotism landed nicely by Mueller and the ensemble.

Darling of the Day is so very British, so very classical Broadway style containing such a polished score that one wonders why it has taken 37 years to be remounted? Light Opera Work production works on most levels. This is worth seeing. It is refreshing to see something different. Styne and Harburg remind us of what a Broadway musical should be.

Recommended

Tom Williams

Chicago Stage Talk Radio Show

This show eligible for a C.S.T. Equity Theatre Award

October 7, 2005