Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – J2 Spotlight continues its season with a rare, charming revival of A DAY IN HOLLYWOOD / A NIGHT IN THE UKRAINE

• By drediman
• March 1, 2022
• No Comments

This past weekend at Off-Broadway’s Theatre Row, I attended a rare revival of A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine. The production has been mounted by J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company, which began its current season in February with a staging of A Class Act and concludes next week with a revival of The Baker’s Wife. If you haven’t already gathered, J2 Spotlight specializes in dusting the cobwebs off of musicals – primarily those that have amassed cult followings – that have gotten lost in the shuffle of time.

A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine is an ideal candidate for resuscitation. The musical – which is comprised of two very loosely connected one-act musicals – opened on Broadway in 1980 at the John Golden Theatre (running a total total of 597 performances) and hasn’t seen a major New York revival since. The first act (A Day in HollywoodI) is a congenial, heartfelt love letter to old Hollywood. Performed by a team of movie theater ushers, the piece is essentially a musical revue featuring a parade of heavily choreographed production numbers (the original production was choreographed by the great Tommy Tune). The second act (the presciently titled A Night in the Ukraine) double clicks into a fictitious film inspired by Groucho Marx and his clowning antics. Although a considerable shift from what preceded it, Ukraine is just as lovingly honed as Hollywood, particularly as evidenced by Dick Vosburgh’s hilarious book. Throughout, the pastiche score by Frank Lazarus (music) and Mr. Vosburgh (lyrics) is appealing and often inspired (e.g., the exuberant tap number “Doin’ The Production Code” had me grinning from ear to hear) – even without the budget to recreate the musical’s original orchestrations.

The charming J2 Spotlight production – directed by J2 Spotlight’s artistic director Robert W. Schneider with apparent love for the material – features a cast of young and eager musical theater hoofers and physical comedians. The show is a true ensemble piece, and it gives each member of the company ample opportunities to shine. Over the course of the two acts, their versatility is tested, and I’m happy to report that they succeed admirably. Indeed, each of the young talents handles both the uniformity required for Hollywood and the madcap, rapid-fire comedy needed forUkraine with equal aplomb.

RECOMMENDED

A DAY IN HOLLYWOOD / A NIGHT IN THE UKRAINE
Off-Broadway, Musical
J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company at Theatre Row
2 hours, 15 minutes (with one intermission)
Through March 5