Reviewed by Ethan Silver
Visualize
this…you enter a theater and you are instantly transported to the 1970’s
complete with disco music and lighting, pastel-laden walls and a polka dotted
blanket covering the couch. What
follows is a musical look into the busy life of Kelly Corbett (Jacquie Donley),
her daughter Jill (Madeline Penn) and her son, Bobby (Jeremy Herzig) as they
work though the trials and tribulations of a single parent household, which is
taunted and tormented by the sleaze-ball IRS agent, Orville Schlyman (Michael G.
Welch). On the surface it seems as
if is a drama, but with the colorful characters and the cheerful melodies, the
audience is treated to a (mostly) lighthearted journey that is both relatable
and enjoyable.
The lead female actor Donley is a natural in her
interplay between characters, which is both believable and a joy to watch,
however her performance would be heightened with a more pervasive sense of
frustration and exhaustion whether it be from emotional strain, physical strain
or a combination of both. Donley
seems to jump freely back and forth from the upbeat moments to the darker
moments of grief without the appropriate emotional transitions.
This is more likely a result of writing
style than the actor’s choice.
The most energetic performance is given by Kristian
Espriritu who plays Maria Belyea, the wealthy girl next door and relentless
pursuer of the “Hawaiian handyman” Andy Yamamoto (Ryyn Chua).
Espriritu shows her theatrical prowess via a supporting role that has
this reviewer wanting to see and hear more.
Her counterpart and love interest Andy shows his dance background even in
the simple choreography and maintains a positive and likeable character.
Although not the strongest singer in the cast, he hits his notes and does
a fine job bringing his upbeat and positive energy to the character making the
most of his time onstage and endearing the audience.
Of special note is Welch’s portrayal not only of the
sleazy Orville Schlyman, but also an Australian Elvis, rogue biker, elderly lady
and a postman with a speech impediment.
To contrast Welch’s comic relief is Sean O’Grady and his portrayal of
Kelly’s old flame, Sam Rivers.
O’Grady acts as the straight man and does so with a steady confidence that
creates an extremely believable and likeable good natured character that is as
impressive as his vocal work.
Act I introduces the play and does an excellent job of
getting the audience up to speed with the opening number, “Bizzzy.”
The musical numbers that follow are generally pleasant and easy to
understand with a simplicity that is appropriate for a show of this nature.
The well known television families of the 70’s are generally portrayed
with a campy nature and Bizzzy
happily follows suit. There is
however, a stark contrast between the whimsical camp of the first act and the
drama of the second. The act opens
with a fun and well choreographed ensemble piece “Bizzzy Reprise,” which then
gives way to a touching brother / sister lament by Penn and Hertzig to their
departed father entitled, “Mom Has a Boyfriend.”
The two young actors effectively connect to the emotion of the piece and
to each other making it a moving experience although it would have been
heightened with additional character development of this nature earlier in the
story.
Shortly after Act II begins, the story unveils two
romantic surprises that come a bit too suddenly for the audience to accept and
which temporarily takes the tone from camp to cheese.
These elements are a bit contrived and they would definitely not fly in a
straight play, but they work well enough within this context.
What follows is the lover’s lament “You Were My Lady,” with a feeling and
essence reminiscent of the love songs from
Grease.
The opening numbers could use a bit more energy and “oomph”
performance wise to ensure that they do not fade into the background, but this
awkwardness is brief and thankfully broken by an announcement from Andy and
Marie in “Smile When You’re Walking Down the Aisle.”
Overall, the music is light and enjoyable, the acting is
solid and the sets are festive with creative scene changes which garnered
“ooh’s” and “aah’s” from the audience.
Blocking and choreographing with a cast of twelve is a daunting task,
however, Director John Lewis and Choreographer Kelly Corrin do a phenomenal job
of keeping the stage uncluttered and even.
The actors maintain a high level of professionalism and they know where
they are onstage, as they ensure that their movements are natural and
uncontrived.
Lewis employs some out-of-the-box tactics to help bring
the audience into the piece, most notably by projecting images and video onto
the rear wall above the set. For
example, the audience sees a video in the first person of someone approaching
the front door of Kelly’s apartment, while she interacts with this individual
from the onstage set. This provides
an additional view of the world of the story that an audience rarely sees.
We are also treated to projections throughout that intertwine with the
emotions and actions occurring in real time.
Once one embraces the camp and self-proclaimed
“corniness” of the piece, one will experience a relatable story of life’s
frustrations, joys and heartaches through the fun and unique production,
Bizzzy.
Catch this production on its next run, possibly in