'Bowery Boys' serves up comfort food for the holidays
Outside Marriott Theatre, winter rages. Inside, spring dawns in the form of writer/director David H. Bell's sunny, exuberantly performed production of "The Bowery Boys," a new musical inspired by Horatio Alger's rags-to-riches tales with a score inspired by George M. Cohan's all-American tunes.
For audiences already weary of winter, Marriott's world premiere comes at the right time. And for audiences left with a sour taste in their mouths from a steady diet of corporate irresponsibility and political corruption, this pleasant little confection - which champions loyalty, honesty, hard work and hope - adds a bit of sweetness to what has been a rather sour year.
The plot centers on a plucky, upstanding Irish immigrant Dick Hunter (the charismatic Brian Sears) a prototypical Alger hero working his way from rags to riches in 19th-century New York City. A kinder, gentler, unfailingly honest version of the Artful Dodger, Dick serves as mentor and protector to a ragtag group of orphans who scrape by shining shoes in the Bowery and paying protection to Tammany Hall thugs Kid Twist (Jeff Dumas) and Rough House Hogan (John McFarland).
Dick also takes under his wing the wealthy, young immigrant Mary (Morgan Weed), whose con man stepfather John (Bernie Yvon) and his mistress Nanny Mae (the marvelously wicked Lesley Bevan) plan to dispose of her and steal her inheritance. To keep her safe, Dick dresses Mary as a boy and passes her off as another urchin.
Of course, romance ensues. And like the stories that inspired it, this big-hearted, feel-good musical concludes happily: the good guys triumph and decency prevails. Hokey? Yes, but Bell and his cast approach the material with an earnestness that makes it work.
"The Bowery Boys" has a couple of other things going for it. There's a sweet, plain-spoken quality to Bell's book and lyrics. Michael Mahler's music direction is solid and Matt Raftery's buoyant, wonderfully boyish choreography is first-rate, especially in the anthemic production numbers like "Change" and "Bowery Boys," which is where the show really takes off.
The personable Sears anchors the show and his high-spirited performance is one of the best things about this production. Then there's the terrific work from the young singer/dancers who play the shoeshine boys. The show's villains - Dumas, Bevan, Sean Fortunato's unforgiving flophouse owner and Jeffrey Baumgartner's sinister politico, also deliver performances worth mentioning.
But while parts of it are quite delectable, "The Bowery Boys" doesn't amount to a gourmet meal, not at this stage. The score, which quotes from Cohan's "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "Mary's a Grand Old Name" is unremarkable. The plot is unnecessarily complicated, the romance is underdeveloped and the momentum stalls when the focus shifts from the spunky shoeshine boys to the scheming adults.
The recipe needs some tweaking before the show will please the palate of musical theater connoisseurs. But as comfort food, the hearty "Bowery Boys" fits the bill.
"The Bowery Boys"
2 1/2 stars
Location: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
Times: 1 and 8 p.m. Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 1 and 5 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 15
Running time: Approximately 2 hours, 20 minutes, with intermission
Tickets: $45-$55, dinner packages extra
Parking: Valet parking available
Box office: (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com
Rating: For all ages
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=1&type=video&item=221">Clip from 'Bowery Boys' </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>