No Way to Treat a Lady
It’s a safe bet that anything penned by William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men and The Princess Bride) is pure gold, and this charming musical at The Colony Theatre in Burbank is no exception.
Based on his novel, “No Way to Treat a Lady” launched Goldman’s Academy Award-winning career as the first of his works to be adapted into a 1968 film starring George Segal and Lee Remick. Its musical evolution came about 20 years later when Douglas J. Cohen set the dark comedic thriller with a kicky, offbeat score and lyrics, later revised by the York Theatre Company with additional songs to popular and critical success. The musical has been translated into five languages and enjoyed several professional productions in the U.S., Canada and is currently playing in Amsterdam and Sweden. It is only fitting then, that this musical marking its Los Angeles premiere, returns home to the place where it all began over 40 years ago.
The story follows down and out Detective Morris Brummell (Kevin Symons) on the trail of failed actor turned serial killer, Kit Gill (Jack Noseworthy) desperate for notoriety on the front page of The New York Times effectively revealed in the opening number, “I Need a Life.” The need for a life by both men is hamstringed by the oedipal apron strings of their mothers, but Brummell finds a healthy outlet with his new love interest Sarah Stone, sweetly played by Erica Piccininni. Gill, however, turns his emasculated rage out on unsuspecting women as he seeks approval from his mother, a famous actress, from beyond the grave in the chilling ballad, “I’ve Been a Bad Boy/What Shall I Sing For You?” Brummell and Gill play cat and mouse, nurturing an uneasy rapport as the body count rises, until Sarah becomes an unwitting pawn in Gill’s murderous ploy.
Capably directed by West Hyler and Shelley Butler, this production is highly agreeable in the moment, but forgettable the next day. Much of this is due to the lack of hummable tunes and memorable lyrics, an intrinsic problem that even these solid performances could not overcome. Further aggravating the otherwise high caliber production is the cluttered set with multi-levels that left little room for any imaginative choreography. The scrim used in Gill’s dream sequences with his mother Alexandra may have been a lovely effect for those seated on the far side of stage left, but for everyone else, it went wasted.
The cast of four are well-seasoned veterans of the stage, regionally and nationally, with plenty of impressive credits under their belts so it is no surprise that each give a terrific performance. Jack Noseworthy is delicious and saucy as Gill, particularly when he disguises himself as a priest in “Only a Heartbeat Away,” but is hardly believable as a cold-blooded killer when his strangling produces laughter. Separately, Erica Piccininni and Kevin Symons find moments to shine, but together they lack any chemistry, their love affair coming across as pleasant as a handshake between mutual acquaintances. The bravura performance, however, is Heather Lee’s multiple personas, five in all, each fully fleshed out and so distinct that it is almost easy to forget that only one woman is playing these roles. Lee accents her characters with perfect diction, marvelous intonation and sparkling personality. As Brummell’s mother, Flora, Lee is flawless in her henpecking and is splendid as Gill’s grand dame matriarch, Alexandra, with her exquisite Erté-like posturing.
“No Way to Treat a Lady” has come a long way and what a treat it is to see it on the LA stage.
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Theater: Colony Theatre, 555 North Third St., Burbank.
Web Site: http://www.colonytheatre.org/
Tickets: (818) 558-7000 ext. 15
Dates: Through May 17, 2009