ju s« o u t T fe b ru a r y 1 6 . 1 9 0 6 ▼ 2 9
children’s choir adds to the on-stage count.
The Cotton Blossom, the show’s title character,
is 25 feet tall and 48 feet long. It enters the stage, sails
across, turns and “docks” in a breathtaking scenic
moment. Various rooms, stages, balconies and even
the roof deck open up, silently close, and then the
boat moves along— all at the director’s command.
The score for Show Boat includes more than a
half-dozen immortal theater classics: “01’ Man
River,” “Make Believe,” “C an’t Help Lovin’ Dat
Man,” “Bill,” “You Are Love,” “Why Do I Love
You” and the poignant revival of “After the Ball,” a
p o p u la r tu rn -o f-th e -c e n tu ry w altz used by
Hammerstein and Kern to set the tone for Magnolia’s
triumphant success on the big-city stage.
While this Show Boat is vastly entertaining, the
heart of the story gets sidelined in the wake of
Prince’s elaborate theatrical high jinks. A Portland
Opera production several seasons back scored by
highlighting the show’s emotion and haunting melo­
dies. While that production lacked zillions of dollars
in scenery, it captured the core o f the original show
and score and remains a beloved moment in recent
stage history in the City of Roses.
The talented cast in this lavish Show Boat often
gets lost in the stage actions, but few contemporary
theatergoers will be bothered much. Prince’s most
questionable change is his decision to take the
young lovers’ “Why Do I Love You” duet and give
it to Parthy, Captain Andy’s grumpy wife. In a rare
moment of tenderness, she now sings it as a solo to
herjust-bom granddaughter, who will grow up to be
Kim, the toast o f the New York stage. The song
reappears at the show’s conclusion as a stage-filling
Charleston number that gives the production a zesty
finale. The fact that Hammerstein and Kern did not
write a peppy Charleston number as the show’s
conclusion doesn’t bother Prince one bit: He turned
a ballad into a Charleston that makes a great sound­
bite in television commercials, and that’s that.
For the Vancouver visit, Cloris Leachman heads
the cast as Parthy with the just-arrived Ned Beatty
starring as Captain Andy. Newcomers Teri Hansen
and J. Mark McVey score as the young lovers, and
Valarie Pettiford turns in a show-stopping turn as
Julie, whose story of a forbidden interracial mar­
riage gives the show much of its historic signifi­
cance. With “Bill” and “C an’t Help Lovin’ Dat
Man,” Pettiford gets the show’s two best songs. Dan
Tullis Jr. scores as Joe, the dock hand who sings “OF
Man River.” Tullis delivers a knockout rendition of
the classic song, but Prince has him sing it a total of
four times in the three-hour staging— an example of
overkill if there ever was one.
Show Boat — in whatever format— is a musical
and theatrical treasure. While theater purists may
grumble at some of the revisions, there’s no doubt
that this lavish revival will be the Show Boat of
today’s generation of stage fans.
Whitney Webster (front) as Kim in the Charleston number
U nsinkable
High jinks and a controversial change or two
don’t scuttle Showboat
By Christopher Kamera
F
ish gotta swim, birds gotta fly. I gotta
love one man till I die. Can’t help lovin’
dat man o f mine.”
That simple lyric is the heart and
soul o f Jero m e K ern and O scar
Hammerstein II’s Show Boat, the classic 1927 mu­
sical that has rarely been out of production since the
night it opened.
A splashy, multi-award-winning revival o f Show
Boat is the current musical sensation in Vancouver,
B.C., serving as the inaugural production for the
handsome new Ford Center for the Performing Arts,
and the major tourist-related theatrical event o f the
year. The story, a swirl o f forbidden love, racial
injustice, family resentments and social pressures,
always comes back to the healing power o f love in
every dimension. It’s what motivates the characters
and keeps the story— like 01’ Man River—rolling
along.
Portland stage fans will find the musical well
worth a look on any upcoming Vancouver visit.
Tickets are currently on sale until June, the musical’s
sixth month in Vancouver. The show ’s producers
are hoping for a nine-to-12-month run, but some in-
the-know theater types predict a two-year stay. The
touring production, a carbon copy o f the Tony
Award-winning New York revival, will eventually
reach Portland, but the show ’s theatrical appeal and
the chance to see the new Ford Center combine to
make it a perfect outing for local theater buffs.
Legendary director Harold Prince won his 20th
Tony Award for his direction o f Show Boat — his
first major work with a revival. It was his decision
to revisit Show Boat that created interest in the $9
million revival, which opened in Toronto before
moving on to New York, where the show continues
in its second year. The new production combines
story elements, songs and characters culled from the
original 1927 stage production, several Broadway
revivals and two Hollywood versions.
Prince and his collaborators put the emphasis on
« , I
y
'
i r
• • •'
-
Cloris Leachman as Parthy
production in this lavish revival/restaging. For an
audience thrilled by chandeliers sweeping overhead
to crash center stage, stage-filling French or Argen­
tinian revolutions, or helicopters landing on stage,
this Show Boat would seem to have everything. The
acting company totals 73 members: the principal
characters plus two chorus groups. A multiracial
Evening and matinee performances are offered;
tickets are available at any TicketMaster outlet
or by calling 1 (604) 280-2222. Discounted
group rates fo r 20 or more are available by
calling I (604) 844-2808. Tickets are on sale
through late June, and tickets fo r later summer
dates are expected to be released soon.
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