Theater Review: 'A Kick Out of Cole'

From left to right: Suzanne Powers, Valerie Torphy, Barbara Stolarik, Raye Maclellan, Linda Martin, Christine Gill. 

The Orange Players Association, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the enrichment of theatre in the greater Orange community. With their upcoming 40th anniversary gala approaching, their website claims the title of "Connecticut's oldest continuously operating community theatre group."  Drawing performers from Orange, East Haven, Hamden, Litchfield, Madison, New Haven, Norwalk, Shelton, and Stratford, and showcasing their talents at the High Plains Community Center, the Orange Players truly exhibit the essence of the hard work and dedication needed to bring communities together to celebrate the performing arts.

This weekend, the Orange Players pay tribute to the inimitable American composer, Cole Porter. His classic melodies, witty lyrics, and wry humor are showcased in this original musical revue, directed by Leo Meyer, with musical direction by Will Duchon and Angela Jackson.

Mr. Meyer has an impressive theatrical background, including being the founder and CEO of Atlas Scenic Studios where he supervised scenic execution of over 300 Broadway shows including Amadeus, South Pacific, A Chorus Line, Rent, and many others. He produced a season of musicals at the Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford,  and is the playwright for Barnum Tonight, a one-man show celebrating the history of Connecticut's own legendary showman, P.T. Barnum.

It's no wonder that Mr. Meyer would be drawn to the music of Cole Porter since the Connecticut connection runs deep. Cole Porter's musical affinity thrived and grew while he was a student at Yale, writing numerous songs and full-scale productions for the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and the Yale Dramatic Association. He was also an early member of the Yale Whiffenpoofs and a featured soloist in the Yale Glee Club.  His composition, "Bull Dog," is still a favorite Yale fight song.

A Kick Out of Cole highlights the genius and timelessness of Cole Porter's music. It features an impressive song list of Porter standards including "Begin the Beguine," "In the Still of the Night," "Let's Do It," and "Night and Day," as well as songs from the Broadway shows Kiss Me Kate, Anything Goes, and Can-Can. Surprise inclusions in the revue are "Miss Otis Regrets" which is a droll song about a woman who killed her ex-lover and was strung up by a lynch mob, and "Antoinette Birby" which tells the cautionary tale of a maid from Derby who lost more than her way in the wayward streets of New Haven.

Cast members Ralph Buonocore, Christine Gill, Sarah Golley, Gary Harger, Linda Martin, Raye Maclellan, Rich Moran, Suzanne Powers, Barbara Stolarik, Paul Templeton, and Valerie Torphy earnestly try to do justice to the genius score, with some members standing out, and others just missing the mark. It is nice to see a mostly older cast, especially when so many local theaters only utilize young voices. But while their collective experience is quite impressive, their technical skills varied, making for a somewhat uneven production.

Standing out among the cast is Gary Harger, a Broadway veteran (Shenandoah) with a beautiful full voice.  I loved his renditions of the songs "Were Thine That Special Face" and "Begin the Beguine."  Also notable in the cast is Suzanne Powers. Although I wish she had more fully embraced the sexiness of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," her rendition of "The Laziest Girl in Town" had me in stitches. She not only channels the singing style of Marlene Dietrich, but her hilarious delivery reminds me of Madeline Kahn in Blazing Saddles.

Also notable are Valerie Torphy who sings "I Love Paris" and "Down in the Dumps of the 90th Floor," and Linda Martin who sings "C'est Magnifique" and "Miss Otis Regrets." Christine Gill also shines in the risque number "The Physician," and in "Wunderbar," and "So in Love."

There is no choreographer listed for this production and I wished there could have been. There was an amusing bit of playfulness during "Friendship" and 'Brush Up Your Shakespeare," but the show lacked a choreographer's touch in creating movement sequences and transitions between songs beyond walking back and forth across the stage.

Despite its shortcomings, A Kick Out of Cole remains an entertaining evening of musical theater.  Although this production has a small-town feel, Cole Porter's songs alone are worth the price of admission. I congratulate the Orange Players for reminding us of the genius of Cole Porter and look forward to their 40th Anniversary productions beginning next fall.

The show runs through Sunday, May 18th and tickets can be purchased at the door. You can visit The Orange Players for more information.