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  • Civic Theatre goes 'On the Town'

    Classic musical opens tonight

    Thursday, September 16, 2004

    BY JENN MCKEE

    News Arts Writer

    How can 35 performers evoke a busy city of millions? Emily Perryman, director of Ann Arbor Civic Theatre's new production of "On the Town," has had to deal with this issue, among others, while choreographing one of her favorite scenes in the Comden and Green musical - an instrumental number ("The Times Square Ballet") that closes the first act.

    "The script just gives you a small paragraph that describes what happens, but it's not very specific," said Perryman. "I decided to tell small stories through (the number), of New York, Times Square, coming to life. There are businessmen who had too many drinks at happy hour the night before, girls jumping rope, boys playing ball - it's a really fun number. It really brings New York to life in terms of the hustle and bustle."

    Part of New York's kinetic energy, of course, stems from the city's constant stream of visitors, and "On the Town" focuses on three of them: Chip, Ozzie, and Gabey - WWII sailors on 24-hour leave. The friends split up for the day, since each has a different idea about how he wants to spend his time: Chip longs to see the sights; Ozzie wants to meet as many girls as he can; and Gabey dreams of meeting his true love.

    Timm Gillette, who plays Gabey, describes his character as "a little cornpone, stepping into the big city of New York. He falls in love after seeing a woman's picture and goes on this odyssey to track down the woman and meet her. He finally does, but she's not what she seems, and then circumstances push them apart."

    For Perryman, Gabey's storyline encapsulates the show's message: "It's about the innocence of love in that early stage, the fun passion of love - the goofiness of it - and the poignancy of meeting someone and having to say goodbye in 24 hours."

    But despite the show's simple story line, "On the Town" is a huge challenge from a production standpoint.

    "This is my debut as a director, and to tackle a show of this magnitude - I just couldn't anticipate the amount of work it would take," said Perryman. "And even with a large cast, the ensemble often has to play many roles. One person is a street sweeper in one scene, a policeman in another, and a husband in another."

    In addition to such role-switching, the show throws up production obstacles by way of requiring myriad props, costumes and sets.

    "The sets are enormous," said Perryman. "We've got scenes in the Museum of Natural History, Times Square, Central Park - I can see now why the show's not often produced. But I appreciate the Civic for being willing to do it, and I think it will set a new precedent."

    In terms of the production's look, Perryman had a specific concept that determined the stylized color scheme of both the costumes and the sets.

    "(The production) looks like a black and white photo with splashes of color - the leads are all in colors - and it really captures the sense of that time, the mid-40s," said Caitlin Frankel, who plays Hildy, a tough-talking cabbie who becomes Chip's love interest.

    In regard to her character, Frankel said, "Hildy is hysterical. She's brazen - the embodiment of the changing mentality about a woman's place in society at that time. She knows what she wants and doesn't let anything get in her way."

    The role of Hildy is one of six leads in the musical, making the show's focus nearly as broad as its ambitions. For Gillette, this resulted in an unusual challenge. "There are these odd points where I'm not on stage for long amounts of time, and that's true for the other guys, too," said Gillette. "I get to work with the chorus a lot, which is great, but (the other male leads and I) didn't really get to spend time onstage with the guys who are supposed to be our best buddies. So we had to develop a rapport on our own."

    Develop one they did - Gillette called the cast a "fabulous core ensemble of people" and Frankel called the rehearsals "drama-free drama" - despite, or perhaps because of, the grueling hours spent learning and rehearsing the show's numerous dance numbers. The show requires lots of fancy footwork, but because Perryman is primarily a choreographer, the chance to communicate feelings through dance (often through instrumental numbers) excited her more than it discouraged her. "Dance tells emotion far more than regular scenes often do," she said.

    And while many people dislike musical theater, Gillette believes that the genre just gets a bad rap. "People who think, 'they wouldn't be singing at a moment like that' are just ignorant of the form, I think," he said. "I look at it like watching Shakespeare. No one speaks in iambic pentameter, either. It's just an artistic way of looking at life. In musicals, music and dance are the expression of that emotion."