Circle Theatre's 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' sparkles
Director/choreographer Kevin Bellie didn't have to travel far from Downers Grove to pursue his passion. In fact, he ended up less than 15 miles from his home at Forest Park's Circle Theatre, where he has spent nearly two decades as an ensemble member and the last three as artistic director. Over the years, Bellie, who has also directed shows at St. Charles' Noble Fool and Chicago's Porchlight, has demonstrated a knack for producing bold, buoyant shows without the benefit of a big budget. Case in point: his enthusiastic, zestfully choreographed production of the seldom-revived "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" for Circle Theatre.
Anita Loos' 1925 novel about an ambitious blonde flapper with a penchant for expensive jewels and wealthy suitors who can afford to shower her with them inspired this 1949 bit of musical theater fluff. The bouncy score by composer Jule Styne and lyricist Leo Robin includes gems like the swinging "Bye, Bye Baby," "When Love Goes Wrong" and the iconic "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" (in which Bellie tips his hat to Howard Hawks' 1953 film starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell).
Lesser-known numbers like "It's Delightful Down in Chile" and the taptastic "Mamie is Mimi" amount to little more than filler. In fact, the show might shine brighter if it shed a few baubles. Still, the production numbers make for pleasant diversions (particularly the colorful "Chile." which looks terrific thanks to costume designer Jesus Perez) and in the case of the high-spirited but entirely superfluous "Keeping Cool with Coolidge," a whole lot of fun.
The problem with the stage version of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" rests with the pedestrian book by Loos and Joseph Fields (which screenwriter Charles Lederer improved for the film version).
Set in 1924, the musical centers on platinum blonde Lorelei Lee (the irresistible Rachel Quinn), a gold-digger with a heart of gold, and her best friend and fellow showgirl Dorothy Shaw (feisty Brigitte Ditmars), who cares more about love than money. They set off on a transatlantic trip to Paris paid for by Lorelei's beau, button magnate Gus Esmond (the charmingly fussy Scott Neild). Along the way, Dorothy falls for Henry Spofford (a disarming Jeremy Myers), a member of Philadelphia's upper crust, while Lorelei flirts with a zipper entrepreneur (Tom McGunn) and a middle-aged British aristocrat (Brian Rabinowitz) whose wife (Patti Roeder) owns a tiara Lorelei covets.
Well-matched vocally, Quinn and Ditmars charm their way through the show, delivering razor-sharp duets on the sassy "Little Girls from Little Rock" and the breezy "When Love Goes Wrong," though Ditmars might want to rein in the grind that she tends to brandish like a weapon.
Credit for the robust-sounding chorus goes to music director and Wheaton native Allison Kane, and Perez's fringed and sequined 1920s costumes make for vivid visuals. But it's Bellie's sassy, outsized choreography - tap-centric and Charleston infused - that makes this show sparkle. Geographically speaking, Bellie may not have covered much ground. Artistically, he moves mountains, bringing a bit of Broadway panache to a storefront in the 'burbs.
"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"
Rating: 2½ stars
Location: Circle Theatre, 7300 W. Madison St., Forest Park
Times: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 1
Running time: Approximately two hours, 20 minutes, with intermission
Tickets: $20, $26
Parking: Metered street parking available
Box office: (708) 771-0700 or circle-theatre.org
Audience: For all ages