Despite its charms, good-natured 'Baby' doesn't quite deliver
Picking on "Baby" would be like taking candy from one.
An agreeably innocuous confection, the 1983 musical about impending parenthood as seen through the eyes of three couples has its heart in the right place. And with its likable, by-the-numbers characters and a buoyant, pop-infused score, "Baby" doesn't demand much from its audience.
The thing is, this show by composer David Shire and lyricist Richard Maltby Jr. doesn't offer much either. It's the theatrical equivalent of Wonder Bread: simple, suitable for a midday meal, but not what anyone would call a hearty banquet.
Sometimes, a striking presentation can make up for less-than-inspiring material.
Director Lauren Rawitz's zealous revival for Metropolis Performing Arts Centre features some very good performances, especially from the ensemble's female members. Unfortunately, errant pitches and ragged edges dog the production which never really engages us emotionally. Except for Elizabeth Haley's touching performance of "Patterns," a bittersweet rumination from an ambivalent, middle-aged mother-to-be, these characters don't inspire much more than benign curiosity. Part of the blame rests with Sybille Pearson's unremarkable book, although calling these loosely connected series of vignettes a book is something of a stretch.
Most of the action unfolds in and around the large bed that dominates Adam Lucas Veness' minimalist set. The show opens in the garden apartment belonging to Lizzie (the endlessly spunky Katie Siri) and Danny (Peter Schwartz), a pair of free-spirit college coeds who find out Lizzie's pregnant shortly after they move in together. Old-fashioned Danny proposes to reluctant Lizzie. She refuses, insisting that marriage is "an anti-social act" that leads first to separate beds and then to divorce.
Meanwhile, having sent the youngest of their three daughters off to college, empty-nesters Alan (David Tibble, who doesn't seem to have full command of his character yet) and Arlene (Haley) look forward to some alone time. That is until their anniversary celebration leaves them with a very tangible reminder that teenagers don't have a monopoly on unplanned pregnancies.
Lastly there are the happily married thirtysomethings Pam (Leslie Ann Shepard, a vibrant, charming presence) and Nick (Aaron Graham). They are eager to start a family but their hopes dim when their fertility doctor (Kansas Lynn Battern) informs them that Nick is "shooting blanks."
The show adopts a more serious tone in the second act as Pam and Nick consider the lengths they're willing to go to conceive a child, Alan and Arlene imagine themselves as not just parents, but as a couple, and Lizzie and Danny ponder the monumental life changes a baby brings. The shift in tone hints at something deeper. Unfortunately "Baby" doesn't deliver on that promise.
"Baby"
Rating: 2½ stars
Location: Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 7 p.m. Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays through June 20; also 1:30 p.m. May 27
Running time: About 2 hours, 25 minutes, with intermission
Tickets: $26-$42
Parking: Free parking in the public garage behind the theater; street parking available
Box office: (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com
Rating: For teens and older, sexual situations