The saga of the Frake family, off to the Iowa State Fair for three days that will change the lives of at least eight people and a giant hog, began as a novel by Phil Stong in 1932, was made into a movie with Will Rogers and Janet Gaynor (screenplay by Sonya Levien and Paul Green) in 1933. Buoyed by their huge success in 1943 with "Oklahoma!," Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics) combined on a movie musical that had its premiere in 1945. It was the only R&H musical that originated as a movie. Fitful attempts to move it to the stage moved slowly, until a 1996 production, with a new but reverently derivative book by Tom Briggs and Louis Mattioli, opened in Des Moines during the fair and toured a lot before it got to Broadway.
The Stages production, directed by Michael Hamilton, with choreography by Dana Lewis, is big and bright. Lewis' work is brilliant, with a panoply of dance styles including tap, square, country, a splendid soft-shoe number by Jim Newman, as Pat Gilbert, an itinerant reporter and, of course, the big, bright waltz that is a key dance in every R&H production. Whit Reichert shows off his huge comic talent as as friend to the head of the family, Abel Frake (Christopher Vettel) and as the fair judge of pickles and mincemeat, though the drunk scenes are stretched a little too long. Julie Hanson sparkles as Margy, the Frake daughter, and as a point of personal privilege, it's nice to see a pretty girl be won over by a reporter, though I've never known a reporter who could carry Newman's dancing shoes.
Vettel sings well, finds the humor in the Hammerstein lyrics, and he and Kari Ely make a wonderful couple, each aware--and understanding--of the other's whims (she isn't bothered by his adoration of Blue Boy), still deeply, quietly and calmly in love. Two extremely mature performances, and their singing is good, too.
Hollie Howard is fun as a dancer who sweeps Wayne Frake (Preston Ellis) off his feet, then shows the good sense to back away. Ellis looks a little old for the character, but makes it work most of the time. Also good work from dancers Taylor Pietz and Lisa M. Ramey, from cute kid Abigail Isom as an equally cute kid and from John Flack in several roles in "State Fair," and in more than a half-dozen through the season.
The score includes such standards as "It Might as Well Be Spring," "So Far," "It's a Grand Night for Singing," "Isn't It Kind of Fun" and, of course, the two Iowa songs and the marvelous line about the Iowa fair being "the best state fair in the state," is a winner, helped by being augmented a little with R&H trunk music.
Perfect family entertainment with characters who have three dimensions, a story that's kind of sappy but does no harm, but does wrap up in a very big hurry.
State Fair opened at the Robert Reim Theatre last night as a production of Stages St. Louis to run through Oct. 5
--Joe
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