Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The late Jerry Herman’s thrilling score sparkles in the Encores! revival of MACK & MABEL

• By drediman
• February 25, 2020
• No Comments

Alexandra Socha in the Encores! revival of Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart’s “Mack and Mabel” at New York City Center. Photo by Joan Marcus.

This past weekend at New York City Center, I attended the final performance of the Encores! revival of Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart’s 1974 musical Mack & Mabel. The musical is notable for two reasons. Firstly, the show contains one of Mr. Herman’s most captivating scores, despite flopping on Broadway (the original production was directed and choreographed by the great Gower Champion). Secondly, the piece is also notable for having introduced a young Bernadette Peters (as Mabel) to Broadway audiences. Set soon after the turn of the century during the dawning of the film industry, the musical depicts the turbulent romantic and professional relationship between a proud, egotistical silent film director (Mack) and his vivacious on-again, off-again muse (Mabel). The evening was also a moving tribute to the irrepressible Mr. Herman, the legendary Broadway composer and lyricist, who recently passed away.

Before we get to the problematic book, let’s first discuss Mr. Herman’s sparkling score. It was quite the treat to hear it played live in all its glory – including its brassy, colorful original orchestrations – by the Encores! Orchestra, as conducted by Rob Berman. The songs are brash, bouncy winners (“Movies Were Movies”, “”Look What Happened to Mabel”, “Time Heals Everything”), each thrillingly building on the excitement established by the previous musical number. I would even argue that Mack & Mabel’s score is a finer accomplishment than those in some of Mr. Herman’s more recognizable hits (e.g., Hello Dolly!, Mame, La Cage aux Folles). Unfortunately, Mr. Stewart’s book doesn’t quite have the same spirit as Mr. Herman’s inspired work, despite having been reworked a number of times since the musical’s premiere. The show’s largely unlikeable male lead and the complicated – some would say toxic and inappropriate – relationship at the heart of the piece have struggled to draw sufficient empathy from audiences, which is an issue for a musical comedy.

Unfortunately, the book issues still exist in the Encores! revival, which has been lovingly directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes. His elaborate work is particularly impressive given the production’s brief week-long run. By putting the score front and center – as usual for Encores!, the full-sized orchestra is a focal presence onstage – one can easier overlook the musical’s deficiencies. As for the cast, they were lovely. In the title roles, Douglas Sills and Alexandra Socha were an intriguing pair. Not only is the age difference between Mr. Sills and Ms. Socha considerable (remember, she played a young teenager not that long ago in the Off-Broadway run of Fun Home), they’re also each physically on the other side of the spectrum (Mr. Sills being a much taller person, compared to Ms. Socha’s petite, compact physique). Nevertheless, they’re detailed, vibrant performances worked, both individually and in their depiction of the problematic central romantic relationship. Kudos also to the hard-working and well-credentialed company (which features the likes of Major Attaway, Michael Berresse, and Lilli Cooper) who provided lively support throughout.

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MACK & MABEL
Off-Broadway, Musical
Encores! / New York City Center
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Closed