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I love how ONE SUMMER IN BROOKLYN: The Musical’s producer Lisa Walkowitz (who’s also the founder/president of Not Your Average Theater Group that is presenting this world premiere) introduced the show on their Facebook page: “They say you can never go home again … so … we brought Brooklyn to Boca.” It certainly was a delight for many former New Yorkers (like myself), or anyone who remembers the 1960s, to enter Boca Raton’s Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park and be met by early sixties’ tunes and a looming full-stage projection of the Brooklyn Bridge. Followed by revolving photos of happy, mostly young couples on Coney Island Beach and Steeplechase Park with its famous Ferris wheel and rides.
But then we realize the music is brought to us by a DJ (Alan Scharf) who refers to his picks as “golden oldies,” to the endless distress of Rachel (the older version, beautifully portrayed by Rachel Kleinman) who steps onto the stage to complain: “Don’t you hate it when the music you love, and listen to, is suddenly called a golden oldie?” Rachel is now 46, and only 28 years had passed since those days that “were golden – when I was 18 years old, just graduated from Erasmus High, worked for my dad’s factory for the summer, had a party-line phone in my room, and would be going to Brooklyn College.”
These details seemed to resonate with the audience, especially me. (I remember my family’s party-line phone; I also went to Brooklyn College, worked briefly at my father’s factory, proving once and for all I was not destined to be a bookkeeper, and my husband even attended Erasmus Hall!) Rachel appeared ready for the next step in her predictable, nice-Jewish-girl-from-Brooklyn life when she joins the cast in singing the titular song, “One Summer in Brooklyn” … “when I was ready to start my life … when I lost my heart!” And that changed everything!
Cut to sweet Young Rachel (Madeline Finkelman) in a swirly yellow dress and hot Young Julio (Santiago Garza) in white muscle tee and jeans – both perfectly cast. When these two meet, it’s love at first sight, but shy Rachel is tongue-tied and runs off. They both check out each other’s backgrounds – which sound perfect (to them) as Julio is working a menial summer job at her dad’s factory to save up for law school (gorgeous and bright Rachel observes). Meanwhile Julio discovers that the object of his romantic obsession is the boss’s daughter, while his family is now blue-collar, having but recently escaped Castro’s Cuba. But this fact barely gives him pause.
The biggest red flags to their relationship appear when they naively commit to love over any concerns about social status and religion and decide to tell their families the “happy” news. Causing violent outrage in Young Julio’s father Ernesto (Amedeo Falgiatore) upon hearing his son is in love with a girl who reminds him of his deceased mother (something the lad felt would soften his father’s heart). But Julio’s plan completely backfires. Dad has a conniption, shouting how dare he desecrate his mother in this way and then smacks stunned Julio so hard on the cheek, he knocks him to the floor. Of course, Ernesto prefers a Cuban wife for his son, but there is no room for discussion when it comes to faith – she must be Catholic. “It’s OK to work with a Jew, but God forbid you fall in love with a Jew!” he angrily exclaims.
Bubby), Rachel Kleinman (as Rachel), Sharyn Peoples (as Rosalinda), and
Madeline Finkelman (as Young Rachel). Photo by Maja Nile.
When Young Rachel decides to test the waters by approaching her understanding, always-there-for-her Bubby (grandma) first – emotionally portrayed to perfection by Fern Katz – she, too, is shocked by her grandmother’s reaction. Bubby’s eyes open wide in horror, and her usual kindly face is all scowls at Rachel’s admission that she’s in love with a Catholic boy. Bubby insists Rachel stop seeing the boy at once, before things go any further. (Which is doubly surprising once we learn of Bubby’s own forbidden love experience in Act Two.)
Undeterred, Rachel obstinately takes off to meet Julio at their usual spot in the park, where she immediately notices the bright red bruise on his cheek. She gives it a light kiss, then realizes that soon Julio will lean in for a real one and regrets her recent liverwurst sandwich (so sneaks a stick of minty gum). The kiss is as heavenly as any romantic fantasy, though Julio will forever remember “the sweet taste of her lips with a faint scent of liverwurst.”
While their perfectly imperfect romance proceeds, we get to enjoy some beautiful musical numbers. Yonng Julio waxes poetic about “The Girl in the Yellow Dress” when he first meets Rachel, and Young Rachel is impressed by his noticing details about her looks in the song’s reprise. They break the ice when he notices a Spanish song playing on the radio in her office at the factory, and then asks her to dance in “Feel That Latin Beat.” For Rachel, he would forever remain not only the ideal lover but also the perfect dance partner.
Rejecting societal taboos, and eager to pave a way forward together, Young Rachel and Young Julio sing the romantically idealistic, “Love is Just Love.” And Julio keeps the flame for Rachel, only, despite his father’s earlier crude efforts to get his son interested in girls by pushing him toward experienced prostitute Rosalinda (Sharyn Peoples). “Rosalinda Knows Her Way Around” is a hilarious seduction vs. rejection musical number that ends with kind-hearted and wise-in-the-ways-of-men Rosalinda recognizing her young virgin is truly in love, and lets him go to be with his chosen lover.
Rachel’s parents are a typical middle-class couple who are set on their daughter’s marrying David (Greyson Altamirano-Hilton), the nice Jewish boy next door, because he’s dependable and on track to make a good living so their daughter’s future will be secure. They never stop nagging Rachel to invite the young man to dinner. Dad Manny (Carl VanDyke) and mom Sylvia (Spensyr Bach) present fine bursts of comic relief whenever they’re around. We get to enjoy their unabashed passion for the preferred son-in-law in “David Rosenbaum,” sung once with Young Rachel, and once on their own. Ironically, Rachel’s rejected David (who’s loved her since fourth grade) will prove to be quite the mensch (decent good guy) in Act Two.
Bach) and Manny (Carl VanDyke) – cheerily swing golf clubs as they head off to
retirement in the “promised land” of Boca, Florida. Photo by Maja Nile.
We often see the older versions of our young lovers standing a few feet behind them on stage … and even joining in some musical numbers. Both Acts One and Two open to the cast’s melodious rendition of “One Summer in Brooklyn,” setting the scene for both joy and heartbreak. If Act One is mostly about joyous, if “forbidden” fun, Act Two bristles with drama, shockers and surprises. We still enjoy some laughter, as when Rachel’s parents, Manny and Sylvia, treat us to the rollicking number, “What’s So Great about Getting Older.” This adorable couple appears to have the magic touch for living life to the fullest. When they retire, they’re busier than ever playing golf, mah jongg and canasta, enjoying the pool and early bird specials in the “promised land” of – where else? – Boca Raton, Florida.
I don’t want to give anything away, though some of you may have seen the hit play, Rachel & Julio, on which this musical is based, years back. The playwrights who co-wrote that play wrote much of the book for the new musical as well. They are “The Greatest American Hero” TV and film star William Katt and award-winning playwright Carrol Mendelson, who now also serves as associate producer/assistant director. For the musical version, that team is joined by director/lyricist/book writer Mitchell Uscher and composer Roy Singer. Other contributors of note are choreographer Linda Dykes, stage manager Anna Maria DaSilva, creative consultant/hair and make-up Mario Griego, and production coordinator Kevin Dean Hackett.
It obviously takes a talented village to bring a fully realized, new musical to life. And though the road to the stage may have been long and winding, the results are a wonderful and rather original twist on the typical Romeo and Juliet story – filled with hope, laughter, some tragedy and regret … but also lots of great songs! In other words: a celebration of the stuff of life which makes us human and able to survive inevitable ups and downs, with dignity and grace. For many summers make memories, in Brooklyn and everywhere, holding endless possibilities for special seasons worth remembering forever.
Not Your Average Theater Group’s world premiere of ONE SUMMER IN BROOKLYN: The Musical is well worth catching while you can, but you need to hurry because the first weekend was sold out, and there’s so much enthusiastic world-of-mouth, their next, final weekend, ending on December 14, may sell out quickly as well. So best reserve your seats early and plan to arrive early too to enjoy a bit of Sugar Sand Park’s nature ambiance, including an old-fashioned carousel. For our 1 pm show, we packed lunches to eat outdoors beforehand at nearby picnic tables. And then, we were delighted to discover one of the most professional and beautiful watercolor painting exhibits ever! Don’t miss the bonus of a free gallery show that lines both sides of the long hallway to the theatre, mounted by goldcoastwatercolor.com.
The Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park is located at 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton 33486. Get tickets for this Mainstage production at www.WillowTheatre.org or call the Box Office at 561-347-3948.
The post Star-crossed lovers revisit their magical ‘ONE SUMMER IN BROOKLYN’ in a poignant musical comedy, brimming with nostalgia, laughter, and tears appeared on South Florida Theater.
