|
The Boys from Syracuse
Book by George Abbott
Book adapted by David H. Bell
Based on “The Comedy of Errors” by Shakespeare
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Directed and Choreography by David H. Bell
Music Direction by Keith Dworkin
At Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre
100 Drury Lane
Oakbrook Terrace, IL
Call 630-530-0111 www.drurylaneoakbrook.com
Tickets $28- $31 - $33
Wednesdays at 1:30 pm
Thursdays at 1:30 & 8 pm
Fridays at 8:30 pm
Saturdays at 5 & 8:30 pm
Sundays at 2 & 6 pm
Running time is 2 hours, 30 minutes
Through September 28, 2008
Splendid new adaptation of the classic Rodgers & Hart musical “The Boys from Syracuse” is a hilarious tuneful dance spectacle.
Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre continues to offer splendid musicals with large casts and terrific production values. Their latest is a new adaptation of the 1938 Rodgers & Hart musical, “The Boys from Syracuse.” David H. Bell’s adaptation has added much humor and magnificent dances to one of the finest Rodgers & Hart scores. “It is a life long mission of mine to attempt to rediscover many of the great musicals that are no longer performed,” states Bell. He sure knows how to bring these shows to life! “The Boys from Syracuse” is the first musical written based on a Shakespeare play—“The Comedy of Errors.” Bell’s adaptation emerges as one terrific manic dance show.
“The Boys from Syracuse” revolves around the escapades and romantic mix-ups of long-separated identical twins Antipholus of Ephesus (Rod Thomas) and Antipholus of Syracuse (Ryan Reilly) and their servants, themselves, the two Dromios, also long-separated identical twins. When the twins from Syracuse end up in Ephesus, mayhem ensues when Adriana (Susan Moniz) and her servant Luce (Melody Betts) is takes the twins from Syracuse for their husbands.
Bell uses energetic staging and rousing choreography to add humor to the marvelous lyrics and rich melodies of Rodgers & Hart score which features standards “Falling In Love With Love,” “This Can’t Be Love” and “Sing for Your Supper.” Bell’s choreography has made the large ensemble the real stars of this show. They dance and perform wonderful comedy bits including the fabulously funny number “Come With Me” that finds the male ensemble’s police officers trying to subdue Antipholus from Syracuse. This clever comedy routine contains precision stage movement in the best tradition of The Keystone Cops of silent film fame. With “Hurrah, Hurroo,” “Bottoms Up” and “Ladies of the Evenings,” Bell has his ensemble dancing up a storm with 30’s style dances.
Susan Moniz lands the haunting “Falling In Love With Love” while Melody Betts offers hilarious comic turns as Dromio’s wife. Ryan Reilly and Andrew Keltz sing the catchy “Dear Old Syracuse” in an ode to their hometown. Jarret Ditch and Cara Salerno deftly perform the ballet Pas de Deux in spectacular form. The mixture of manic action, sexy encounters together with the stellar songs and hilarious bits adds up to a wonderful, quick paced old fashion Broadway musical. You’ll laugh often and you’ll be humming the melodies on your way home. That is the test of a marvelous night of musical theatre.
Kudos to Kyle DeSantis and David H. Bell for mounting this wonderful material. Many theatre fans will discover the genius of Rodgers & Hart and David H. Bell in the rarely mounted “The Boys from Syracuse.” This is one ‘must see’ musical. For a ticket price that runs from only $28 to $33, you’d be hard pressed to see a finer show anywhere.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2008
|
