One can’t help but wonder what, say, 15-year-olds make of the love songs that form most of the score of The Marvelous Wonderettes, longing and wistful and full of sentiment and hormones spoken of mostly in coded words. The Rep’s current Mainstage show features music sung by female artists, particularly groups, in the Fifties and Sixties. They sound great, but it’s also an interesting example of how music was evolving for women in particular in that time period.
From “Mr. Sandman”, the opening number, with its Andrews-Sisters-like harmonies referring back to the Forties to “Respect” very close to the end of the show, it’s quite a leap in style. So ponder that before or after the show; while you’re there just be in the moment. For some of us, it will surely bring back memories of KXOK – or perhaps WIL, if you were in that camp – on pre-stereo radios in darkened cars.
Unlike many of its ilk, this isn’t about a single group or composer or a character who’s famous. It’s four girls who sing for their senior prom in 1958, and then again at the 10-year class reunion. There’s fine ensemble work from all four. Iris Beaumier is Betty Jean, who has a wandering boyfriend. Morgan Kirner plays Missy, bouncy and organized, who (pace Doris Day and Sammy Fain) has a secret love. Leanne Smith’s Suzy is darling but occasionally a half-step behind the others, in more than one way. Chiara Trentalange’s femme fatale, far from what one pictures when hearing the character’s name, Cindy Lou, is, or would like to be, a force of nature.
A goodly amount of physical comedy from all four of them, but particularly Beaumier and Trentalange, keep things perking right along – this isn’t a show with four singers just standing there snapping their fingers in unison. Melissa Rain Anderson directs and choreographs with plenty of action. And the music – oh, the music. I hadn’t thought about “Mr. Lee” in years. Am I the only one who thought about the Chinese restaurant of that name – cue the gong, please – when the song came on, and vice versa? I was also surprised to hear Doris Day saluted with “Teacher’s Pet”. (It came from the film of the same name, where she played opposite, of all people, Clark Gable. An unlikely pairing, indeed.) A tip of the hat to an inclusion of “Rescue Me”, the signature song of St. Louis’ own Fontella Bass.
Dorothy Marshall Englis created the costumes, the Fifties ones in particular being right on the money, including those voluminous petticoats we called “can-cans”, stiff and scratchy and poufing out the full skirts. The Sixties costumes remind us what a gift to the world white go-go boots were. Adam Koch’s set does honor to high school gymnasiums everywhere, brought to light, so to speak, by Peter Sargent’s work as it at one points turns into near-dialogue from an unseen-but-often-spoken-of character.
Great, almost giddy fun during this cold winter of our discontent.
The Marvelous Wonderettes
through January 28
Repertory Theatre St. Louis
Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts
130 Edgar Rd., Webster Groves
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