No, No, Nanette, an original Roaring ‘20s musical complete with a flight of flappers, lots of dancers, a bevy of retro melodies and a plot that gallops with romance, frivolity and laughter delivered by a multi-talented, high-energy cast has just hit the stage at the Wick Theater in Boca Raton.
The original musical based on a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, with lyrics by Harvach and Irving Caesar and music by Vincent Youmans, made its Broadway stage debut about 100 years ago.
“No, No, Nanette is a dance-packed extravaganza filled with lavish sets, stylish costumes and plenty of laughs,” said Marilynn A. Wick, the theater’s managing executive producer. “We have an extraordinary cast led by Broadway star and Wick favorite Jeremy Benton, so expect enough hoofin’ and soft-shoe moves that would make even Ruby Keeler smile!”
Actually, a revised revival of No, No Nanette – one totally rewritten by Burt Shevelove who reworked the book and amended the plot but maintained much of the score — enticed Ms. Keeler out of retirement in 1971 to renew the tap-dancing capabilities that made her a terpsichorean legend. Her energetic tap routines incorporated into two of the show’s many tunes, “I Want to Be Happy” and “Take a Little One-Step,” earned the icon serious praise.
After a lukewarm pre-Broadway tour in 1924, the musical was revised for a Chicago presentation where it scored big and ran for more than a year. In 1925, it opened on Broadway and in London’s West End, running for 321 and 665 performances, respectively.
Shevelove’s reworked edition achieved great success and ran for more than 860 performances after reopening on Broadway in ’71. That’s the show being presented locally.
The Wick’s No, No, Nanette is being helmed by veteran director Norb Joerder. Returning for his umpteenth appearance at the Wick is Musical Director Bobby Peaco and the show’s original choreography is recreated and adapted by lead actor, Benton, displaying multi-faceted competence as star and crew member.
A farcical, slice of music-and-dance production infused with lots of liveliness, No, No, Nanette centers on three couples who find themselves together – quite by accident and for totally different reasons — at a cottage in Atlantic City.
As the show opens, teenage Manhattan heiress Nanette (Elizabeth McGuire) has received a marriage proposal from ardent boyfriend, Tom (Kevin Hincapie). But before she walks down the aisle, she wants to enjoy life’s joys — sun, fun and good times along the Atlantic shoreline. Tired of always being told what to do, she runs off to Atlantic City with the family’s maid, Pauline (Ellie Pattison) as her chaperone for some frolic and frivolity.
Meanwhile, her uncle and guardian, Jimmy (Charles Baran), a wealthy man who likes to give money to people to make them and himself happy, has been a benefactor to three much younger women. His frugal wife, Sue Smith (Kathryn Kendall), of course, knows nothing of this flirtatious philandering. But she’s about to find out.
When the three well-financed ladies threaten to expose Jimmy’s beneficence, he runs for help to his lawyer, Billy (Benton). They ask the women to meet up at the family’s Atlantic City home where he plans to buy them off.
Unknown to Billy, Nanette is already heading for that same venue, as are Sue along with Billy’s wife, Lucille (Kaitlyn Davidson.) A clash of emotionally charged characters is certain, and this spells trouble with a capital T – and fun with a capital F.
An inevitable confrontation ensues, one stocked with plenty of deception, romantic mishaps and comical misunderstandings along with lots of singing and dancing. The resolution to this flighty and frivolous production is a real experience.
Most of the tunes in No, No, Nanette are musically ear-pleasing, but are lesser-known songs — except for “Tea for Two” and ‘I Want to Be Happy” — the melodies added in post-1925 revisions and which perked up the show’s soundtrack.
The talented cast is led by the aforementioned stage whiz Benton as attorney Billy Early. It’s not his first go-round at Wick, having been seen in Bye Bye Birdie, Anything Goes and Singing in the Rain. He’ll be back in Wick’s finale, My Way.
Hincapie, a New World School of the Arts grad and South Florida local, is quietly emphatic in his portrayal of Tom. McGuire is sweetly chic as the adorable Nanette. New to the Wick stage, she has a long list of stage creds.
Other standouts are Pattison as Nanette’s disgruntled maid and chaperone, Pauline, who steals many scenes with her quirky portrayal, and Baran as Nanette’s bighearted Uncle Jimmy. Excelling as Jimmy’s trio of “lady friends” are Britt Steele, Gianina Mugavero and Alexandra Van Hasselt.
A couple of scenes stand out in this outstanding production. McGuire and Hincapie beautifully join voices in the show’s most moving melody, “Tea for Two,” one of several tunes featuring the fine-voice duo – including the show’s title number.
All in all, No, No, Nanette is a toe-tapping piece of comic fluff with lots of laughs, drama and humorous escapism. This merry mixture is good fun – for the players and the audience.
The show runs through April 6, with matinee performances at 2 p.m. and evening shows at 7:30 p.m. Single and group tickets are available at www.thewick.org or by calling the box office at 561-995-2333.
The post Want To Be Happy? Make Sure You See the Classic, Dance-Filled Musical, ‘No, No, Nanette’ at The Wick appeared on South Florida Theater.
