(out of 
)The last production presented by Theater League was the glorified stand-up routine tailor-made for Skokie-raised Jews, Diary of a Skokie Girl. Their current offering, the reprise of the popular musical revue Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh: The Allan Sherman Musical, is tailor-made for New York City-raised Jews. Since I happen to be a half-Jewish New Yorker, I found this production to be superior to the last, but do take note, I got most of the jokes in this one. The biggest difference, though, is that I suspect even those audience members who are not Jewish or from New York will still enjoy the silly caricatures and even sillier music from the pun-prone Allan Sherman, whose cute albums were a staple in every families' collection of the 1960s.
The cute concept of this musical revue is to follow the life of
the fictional Barry Brockman as he is born, goes to school, (naturally)
goes to camp, gets married, has a child, and grows old. Each of
his milestone events, from birth to wedding to senior citizenship,
is celebrated with one or several of Allan Sherman's wacky take-off
songs, from "Won't You Come Home, Disraeli" to "Shine
On, Harvey Bloom," and of course, the ever famous "Hello
Muddah, Hello Fadduh!" Mr. Sherman's legendary word play,
the precursor of "Weird Al" Yanchovik, is in full form
with all of these revised, re-mixed classics.
Granted, there are many references to Jewish culture ("What
advantage to me being a moil? I keep the tips!") and 60s
New York City (one particular reference, to a person working for
"Manny Hanny," was particularly appropriate for me,
since my mother, who was seeing the show with me, had worked for
Manufacture's Hanover Trust when I was a kid), but more important
than those local and cultural references is the clever word play
on old tunes and lyrics that make this show much more accessible
for those unlucky ones who were not born Jewish in New York.
Rob Krausz, also one of the authors of this production,
has managed to get nearly the entire cast of Theater League's
previous cute musical revue, Personals,
and dropped them into the appropriate roles in this production.
Mr. Krausz' blocking and pacing, as well as Darcy Rould's
simple-yet-effective-and-energetic choreography, keep this show
tilted forward at a breakneck pace that is perfect for the material.
Granted, not too many of the performers on stage looked particularly
Jewish, but they made up for it with their silly caricatures,
unbeatable enthusiasm and unbridled energy.
Not a single performer overwhelmed the ensemble, which is important
for a production of this sort. They were all highly-energized,
bursting with smiles and frowns when appropriate, and thoroughly
professional in their singing and dancing. Each performer had
their chance to shine, and each rose well to the occasion. As
Barry, Todd Yard did a great job with the title number,
as well as his introspective "Did I Ever Really Live?"
As his life-long love, Sarah Jackman, Dana Pauley took
control of the show with her powerful singing and dancing, especially
during her hilarious rendition of "Crazy Downtown."
In their multiple roles, the rest of the ensemble turned on the
charm. Kristen Drathman's portrayal of Sarah's shop-aholic
mother was a hoot, and when she and the impeccable Beau Heckman
performed the cute song "Harvey & Sheila," the show
stopped on a dime. Mr. Heckman also had a hilarious turn with
his song "Grow, Mrs. Goldfarb," which brought the audience
to tears with their laughter. Finally, the always entertaining
Robert L. Harper performs his various funny characters,
including the obnoxious Uncle Phil, as over-the-top as possible
without losing control. His numbers "Kiss of Meyer"
and "Phil Medley" are quite enjoyable.
Make sure, when you go, to read the oversized letters and postcards
plastered on the (unbilled) set, and lit well by Michael Eddy.
Alan Ruch's Musical Direction and Orchestrations work well,
and remained modulated throughout.
The frenetic pacing and energy of this production, and the breakneck
production of the numbers, may overwhelm some audience members.
There are very few lulls in this show, as should be expected from
an Allan Sherman revue. If you don't mind pained cheeks from laughing
so hard, and an almost dizzy feeling as the echoes of the encore
fade, then catch this show while you can.
Production Details:
Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh: The Allan Sherman Musical
by Douglas Bernstein and Rob Krausz
Theater League
Viad Playhouse on the Park, Phoenix
(602) 952-2881
March 5th - March 28th, 1999