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Ben Bagley’s The Decline and Fall of the Entire World as Seen through the Eyes of Cole Porter
A Revue
Music & Lyrics by Cole Porter
Directed & choreographed by Rudy Hogenmiller
At Light Opera Works Second Stage
1420 Maple Street
Evanston, IL
Call 847-869-6300, tickets $24 - $39
Fridays & Saturdays at 8 PM
Sundays at 3 PM
Running time is 2 hours, 15 minutes with intermission
Through November 12, 2006
Lesser know Porter songs spoils energetic revue
Ben Bagley did so many revues in the 50’ s and 60’s that he seemed to have run out of material as evidenced by his Cole Porter revue now playing at Light Opera Works Second Stage. This revue disappoints the many Cole Porter fans (count me in) as it only contains a few know Porter tune out of the 35 presented in this seldom done revue. When “You’ve Got That Thing “ and “I’m In Love Again” are among the highlights you know that the show is in trouble. Why do so many producers decide to feature a beloved composer’s lesser songs in a revue? We go to see a Cole Porter revue to hear his hits and standards, not his comical, often obscure, tunes. When a revue starts with “I’ve A Shooting-Box In Scotland,” you know you’re in for a long night. That isn’t exactly an audience grabber.
The talented cast of Roger Anderson, Larry Adams, Elizabeth Haley, Rebecca Finnegan and Anna Ahlborn work hard, too hard actually to deliver all the comic moments in mediocre material. The decision to present the revue as a vaudeville show only adds to the hamming and over playing from the cast. No one seems to trust the material as evidenced by all the mugging. Rebecca Finnegan and Roger Anderson do have their moments and 8 or 9 of the 35 tunes demonstrate the clever wit and sophistication of Porter as a tunesmith. Unfortunately, we have to suffer through many over played moments before we enjoy a small sampling of excellent Porter songs. The power outage on opening night actually helped give the show an intimate feel that saved it from being an overly indulgent production. The ending medley of known Porter tunes hinted at his genius. Cole Porter fans will be disappointed by the song selection; only those who love obscure oddities will cherish this show. I liked the efforts of the cast but the songs were only a small glimpse into Porter’s talent. Lesson here is: just do the well-know songs with verve and we’ll all experience a master at the top of his craft. The excellent voices and Jon Steinhagen’s arrangements saved this show somewhat.
Somewhat Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: October 6. 2006
Jeff Recommended
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