What a lovely way to spend Memorial Day weekend: driving through the rolling hills of eastern Connecticut and taking in two new musicals at the Goodspeed. This was actually my first time there; I had ridden by the opera house once on a bicycle during the Boston/New York AIDS Ride, but had never seen a show here. It's a lovely venue, right on the shore of the Connecticut River. The theater's bar even has a balcony overlooking the river. On the whole, the charming building looks like the sort of place where you'd order a strawberry phosphate.
It made me wish I was there to see a better show. But since I was making the two-hour drive to see 13 at the Goodspeed's nearby Norma Terris Theater (check back later in the week for my review), and I noticed that Happy Days was playing at the Goodspeed mainstage, I figured I might as well make a day of it. In retrospect, I should have stayed home and cleaned on that sunny Saturday afternoon. I probably would have had more fun.
Because Happy Days the musical is almost irredeemably awful. It seems to have been put together by people who know nothing about musical theater. Although this warmed-over nostalgia for nostalgia has proved popular both here in Connecticut and at the Paper Mill Playhouse, I get the sense that it's all about the name-recognition factor.
The show certainly wouldn't otherwise garner any recognition for the quality of the book and the score. Garry Marshall's script is about as funny as your typical, late-in-the-run, post-jumping-the-shark "Happy Days" episode. In other words, not funny at all. And the songs by Paul Williams reveal why we haven't really heard from him in the last 30 years: He seems to have lost whatever talent he may once have had. The songs have no dramatic motivation, and the scenes are purely expository, periodically punctuated by the hoariest of jokes. The show plays like a poor relation to Grease. In fact, I'd much rather have been in NYC at the Brooks Atkinson taking in the much maligned Grease revival than sitting through this dreck.
The cast of Broadway pros tries gamely to inject some life into this flat show, to very little avail. Joey Sorge has the most success as the Fonz. Sorge has a terrific sparkle in his eye, a strong voice, great delivery, and he somehow manages to do a convincing Henry Winkler impersonation yet still make the part his own. Cynthia Ferrer as Mrs. Cunningham and Sandra Denise as Pinky Tuscadero also rise above the material, but there's only so much they can do.
Act 2 got marginally better, I must confess, and I found myself almost enjoying myself. I guess the nostalgia factor kicked in for me, and the sheer charm and talent of the cast nearly won me over. But the show still sucks. Big time. It wouldn't last a week on Broadway: New York theater still has some standards, Young Frankenstein notwithstanding. But Happy Days will apparently tour the U.S. next season. Do yourself a favor and stay home. If you need a nostalgia fix, pop in a DVD from the "Happy Days" TV show. Preferably from one of the early seasons.
Oh no, the tour is coming to Providence next year and I was looking forward to seeing it. Maybe I'll just stay home and clean instead! (Coincidentally, the "Grease" tour is coming, too. I guess you can never have enough 1950s-themed musicals in one season.)
Posted by: Esther | May 26, 2008 at 06:49 PM
Oh, Esther, you should definitely see it. Consider it part of your theater education. Seeing Happy Days will help you appreciate the good shows that much more. I was just thinking about all the ways Happy Days fails as a workable a coherent musical. It will help you see not only what's good about something like Cry-Baby, but also what's wrong with it.
However, anyone who's hoping for value for their entertainment dollar - as opposed to a lesson on what NOT to do - should probably steer clear.
Posted by: chris caggiano | May 26, 2008 at 07:52 PM
in Australia, we had Happy Days, the "arena spectacular", national tour, they even wheeled out Tom Bosley for some of it..imagine..no, i didnt go to see it, or play the cast album i was given by a cast member...after all, im an actor, i can imagine....lol
Posted by: tom | May 26, 2008 at 09:09 PM
Tom, that's great. Very Vera Charles.
"Of course, I've never had children, but I am an actress, I can imagine."
Posted by: chris caggiano | May 26, 2008 at 10:36 PM