Wootton's 'On the Town' Captures Rollicking Spirit of '40s New York
Matt Mooney, from left, Jared Albert and Justin Sun, as sailors Gabey, Chip and Ozzie, perform a song-and-dance number in Wootton High's production of "On the Town."
(Photos By James M. Thresher -- The Washington Post)
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In Wootton High School's weekend production of "On the Town," the city that never sleeps played host to three Navy sailors for just 24 wild hours. Wootton's cast and crew brought back the Big Apple's 1940s spirit, channeling the original Broadway success and the 1949 Oscar-winning movie adaptation starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Ann Miller.
In Betty Comden and Adolph Green's story, friends and fellow sailors Gabey, Chip and Ozzie look for love and excitement during 24 hours in New York City. All Ozzie wants to do is find a woman, any woman; all Chip wants to do is see the sights. Gabey, however, has his heart set on finding Ivy Smith, Miss Turnstiles for June, after seeing her picture on the subway; and his friends drop their plans to help him. The story follows the three sailors as they search for Smith, on the way encountering the forceful advances of cabdriver Hildy Esterhazy and the primitive desires of anthropologist Claire De Loone, who sometimes gets "carried away."
The cast brought Leonard Bernstein's famous music to life with consistently strong vocal performances. An extremely large cast and colorful, interesting sets and costumes made the production a visual spectacle. This, combined with several talented vocalists and a few very capable acting performances, made the show a success.
The cast was strong, led by the vocals of Matt Mooney as the lovesick Gabey and Samantha Tempchin as Claire De Loone, the energy and charm of Nellie Darling as Ivy Smith, and the eccentric and strong acting of Meghan Keane as Hildy Esterhazy. The six leads created believable relationships -- friendship among the three sailors, and confusion, desire and the beginnings of love among the three couples.
The cast and crew dealt well with the ensemble's size, utilizing the full extent of the large stage and managing to get the ensemble of nearly 40 on and off quickly without difficulty. The technical and extensive choreography seemed difficult for the vocally strong cast, whose dancing appeared at points a bit lackluster and awkward. However, the cast's energy built throughout the performance.
The technical elements were strong, despite some sound difficulty. Lighting was well done by Jeanie McAlpine, successfully dealing with such a large stage, and the set changes were generally unnoticeable and quick.
Requiring massive dance numbers, wide-ranging vocals and that New York spirit, "On the Town" is a challenge of a show that Wootton's cast and crew ably met.
Jennifer MacLure
Stonewall Jackson High School
