Jere-Rigged

It Might As Well Be Spring

And progress on Sugar...progresses.

I totally forgot to mention my most recent out-of-town theatrical event. On Father's Day, since my trip to Chicago had gotten cancelled at the last minute, I went down the shore to see my Dad. My Mom was traveling and he was all alone and really happy that I could make it down.

He got us tickets to a local summer stock production of State Fair, the stage version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein movie musical that played a few months on Broadway in 1996 after an extensive national tour, at the Surflight Theatre.

This production starred John Davidson recreating the role of Iowa farm patriarch Abel Frake that he played in the original production, this time alongside his real-life daughter Ashleigh Davidson playing his daughter Margy.

As you probably know, this is a simple story of a farm family heading to the state fair and what happens to them there. Dad is entering his prize boar in a livestock contest, Mom is entering her various homemade condiments in another contest, Son is looking to get back at a crooked carny and Daughter is looking for adventure and trying to figure out whether to marry the dull, safe guy at home that she likes, but doesn't love.

Davidson appeared to be giving the same performance this time around as when I saw him in the original production's pre-Broadway tour, which is fine. This role is a perfect fit for him and he's really quite good in it. I saw Davidson team with "actress" Morgan Fairchild in a play off-Broadway a few years ago and words can't describe how wretched and embarrassing an experience that was. Come to think of it, I also saw him in a regional production of a bad one-man play about Theodore Roosevelt...he was sort of pretty good in it. But he's in his folksy element here and appeared to be having a ball.

The daughter was also quite good, although the sound department couldn't quite figure out how to fix the microphone somewhere in her hair. It popped and crackled all afternoon throughout both acts. Sadly, hers was the only one causing problems.

The entire cast was actually quite good and gave a spirited account of this so-so show. This is one of those stunning achievements that has actors tap dancing on what is supposed to be dirt in an outdoors scene and interpolates songs from other sources that either don't fit or make clear why the songs were cut from their original sources in the first place.

But, all in all, it was fun and probably the best production I've seen at the Surflight. I'd advise going if you're down at Long Beach Island, but it's already closed. The theatre's current production is...gulp...Cats. Just a guess, but I'd say stay far away from THAT.

Posted by Jere at July 6, 2004 12:13 AM | TrackBack