Of Thee I Sing - It's Message Still Soars

Reviewed by Judd Hollander

Satire may be what closes on Saturday night, as playwright George S. Kaufman once said, but that was certainly not the case for the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Of Thee I Sing. Gleefully skewering the American political process and written by Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, with music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin, the show opened on Broadway in 1931, running for 441 performances.

Considering what’s going on in the world today, it’s not surprising the musical is now getting another look. MasterVoices having recently presented a concert version of the show at Carnegie Hall. Though while certainly enjoyable at points, the production was not nearly as strong as it had the potential to be.

As a presidential campaign begins in earnest, the party's major power brokers, Matthew Fulton (Chuck Cooper), Louis Lippman (Brad Oscar) and Francis X. Gilhooley (Fred Applegate), must convince the voters that their candidate, John P. Wintergreen (Bryce Pinkham) has what it takes be Commander-in-Chief. A totally unexpected pick, Wintergreen was chosen simply because his name sounds presidential.

Searching for a platform for him to run on, and one which won’t cost the party anything, the group settles on “love”. They deciding to find the most beautiful girl in the country who Wintergreen will then marry, but only if he wins the election.

Though Wintergreen, who is not above using dirty tricks to get elected, goes along with the idea initially, he upsets the party’s plans at the last minute by falling in love with Fulton's assistant, Mary Turner (Denée Benton). Mary’s hidden talent being that she can bake corn muffins, which are absolutely delicious. It’s not long before the party, and indeed the entire country, are solidly behind the couple as the campaign takes the lovers to every state in union. Wintergreen proposing to Mary at each stop along the way.

Not surprisingly, Wintergreen wins the election. However, just as the combined inauguration/wedding ceremony is concluding, Diana Devereaux (Elizabeth Stanley), the woman selected to marry Wintergreen before he threw her over for Mary, arrives and accuses him of breach of promise. Though the Supreme Court quickly rules in Wintergreen and Mary’s favor, Diana's presence continues to be felt in the new administration. The media continually coming back to the issue, with Diana herself making sure she is not forgotten by the people. Things come to a head when it’s discovered Diana has certain connections to Napoleon. Seeing this now as a matter of his country’s honor, the Ambassador of France (David Pittu) demands Wintergreen divorce Mary and marry Diana, or face an international incident.

Of Thee I Sing pulls no punches when it comes to politics. The show calling out know-nothing politicians and backroom dealings, where the matter of the public good is simply a random afterthought. Also examined are the appeal of what would now be considered reality shows - beauty contests in this case - as well as the sometimes much-too-close relationship journalistic outlets have with politicians; and a world where style means a lot more than substance. While some parts of the book are quite dated, such as when Wintergreen lists the important attributes he’d look for in a wife, the underlying messages of the show are still as powerful as when they were first written.

Just as pivotal to the production is the wonderful Gershwin music, and the often pointed lyrics. Some of the musical highlights include the heartwarming “Love is Sweeping the Country” and the show’s title tune. Also a lot of fun are “The Senator from Minnesota” and “Posterity is Just Around the Corner”. The latter number a swipe at President Herbert Hoover and a statement he made in regards to the Great Depression. It's also a great treat to hear the score performed by a full orchestra. The MasterVoices orchestra performing under the very skilled baton of conductor Ted Sperling.

A chief problem with the show is its execution. Many of the gags landing not nearly as sharply as they should. Sperling, who also handled the directing chores, seeming unsure of his choices throughout. As a result, a good part of the action feels flat and uninspired.

In addition, a number of the performers are unable to get a proper handle on their characters. This is particularly evident in Pink ham's portrayal of Wintergreen. He not playing it naïve enough to come off as an everyman and not cynical enough to be believable as a political power player. He also fails to have any chemistry with Benton, thus blunting the impact of their scenes together.

Benton conversely, is able to ably convey the aura of a relative political newcomer turned practiced old hand as the show unfolds. Cooper, Oscar and Applegate feel rather interchangeable as three political hacks, with none of them really resonating in the roles they’ve taken on here. Coming off better is actor Kevin Chamberlin, who gives a winning performance as vice presidential candidate Alexander Throttlebottom. A person no one remembers and who doesn’t even know his own duties as the VP. Until they’re explained to him by a White House tour guide (Marnee Hollis).

The show is also beset by serious sound issues. A good number of the lyrics being swallowed up in the gigantic auditorium and unable to be heard. This is a critical error, as how strongly the show's messages resonate depends on the audience being able to hear what's being said.

A nice touch was having actor/humorist Mo Rocca take on the part of the narrator. Which he does in a pleasant and genial manner. Rocca also taking the opportunity to drop in some interesting trivia about the production and its history. Such as the creative team's previous effort in satire, Strike Up The Band, and George Gershwin’s penchant for publicly playing songs from Of Thee I Sing before the musical’s book had even been written.

That Of Thee I Sing still has a lot to say is without doubt. However it can't be denied that, satirical lessons and wry understandings aside, much of the show now seems quite corny. Especially when it comes to the ending. For corny to work, it needs to feel both real and involving. In the recent MasterVoices’ production of Of Thee I Sing, it doesn’t. At least not often enough.

 Of Thee I Sing

Music and Lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin

Book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind

Concert Adaptation by Tony Krasker

Orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett, William Daly and George Gershwin

Narrative Written by Joe Keenan

Featuring: Bryce Pinkham (John P. Wintergreen), Denée Benton (Mary Turner), Kevin Chamberlin (Alexander Throttlebottom), Elizabeth Stanley (Diana Devereaux), Chuck Cooper (Matthew Fulton), Brad Oscar (Louis Lippman), Fred Applegate (Francis X. Gilhooley), David Pittu (French Ambassador), Rhett Gutter (Jenkins), Anna Landy (Miss Benson) Mo Rocca (Narrator), Ellen Richter (Tourist #1), Marnee Hollis (Tour Guide)

Susan H. Drannm, Stephen Eisdorfer, John Koski, Ken Moore, Vivianne Potter, Robert R. Rainier, Gerald Richman, Lisa Rubin (Supreme Court Judges)

Ghalahad Abella, Nicholas Cunha, Robert James, Vincent Machacek, Edsel Romero, Edward Yim (French Soldiers)

Presented by MasterVoices

MasterVoices Orchestra

Conductor and Director: Ted Sperling

Musical Staging: Andrew Palermo

Sound Designer: Patrick Pummill

Stage Manager: Lisa Ann Chernoff

Presented at Carnegie Hall on November 2, 2017

Isaac Stern Auditorium / Ronald O. Perelman Stage