Nice Work If You Can Get It

Nice Work If You Can Get It
Music: George Gershwin. Lyrics: Ira Gershwin. Book: Joe DiPietro inspired by material by Guy Bolton & P.G. Wodehouse. Savoyards Musical Comedy Society. Director: Sherryl-Lee Secomb. Musical Director: Geoffrey Secombe. Choreographer: Desney Toia-Sinapati. Iona Performing Arts Centre, Wynnum East, Qld. 24 Sep – 8 Oct 2016

Nice Work If You Can Get It is a much-reworked version of George and Ira Gershwin’s 1920’s musical Oh, Kay! Every convention of a twenties musical comedy is pulled into service, from showgirls popping up out of a bath, to mistaken identities, disguises, and as many hoary old jokes as Joe DiPietro could cram into his script.

The character of Cookie McGee, the gangster-turned-butler, is the star of the show and couldn’t be in better hands than those of Warryn James, who has a field day with the vaudeville schtick the role requires. Whether fending off the romantic advances of the inebriated Duchess or being a riot serving courses in the wedding breakfast scene, he was deliciously funny.

His partner in crime, Emily Vascotto was also a delight as Billie Bendix, the bootlegger who falls for the rich guy, and sang the Gershwin songs with charm. Especially good was “Someone to watch over me”, but she also scored with the raunchy “Treat me Rough”.

As the playboy Jimmy, Clay English did what he could with a sappy role, sang pleasantly and worked hard in his dance routines. Jacqui Cuny surprised as the Duchess. Although her “Demon Rum” vocal got lost in the sound-mix, she more than made up for it with her drunk duet with James in “Looking for a Boy”.

Grace Clarke as Eileen Evergreen couldn’t have been cuter in the bath in “Delishious” and later got maximum laugh-mileage out of the wedding train gag. Kyle Fenwick (Duke Mahoney) displayed good comic chops as the Duke, as did Caroline Bird (Jeannie Muldoon), his royally obsessed sweetheart. Their “Blah, Blah, Blah” worked really well. Johanna Toia was a commanding presence with her late in the show appearance as bootlegger mastermind Millicent Winter.

Pinks and pastels were the colour of choice in Kim Heselwood’s flapper costumes, whilst Desney Toia-Sinapati’s snappy choreography reflected the Charleston and other dance moves of the era. Geoffrey Secombe kept a tight reign on a 21-piece orchestra, whilst his wife Sherryl-Lee, doing double-duty on set design and overall direction, handled both chores extremely well. The art-deco set was not only perfectly in period but one of the best seen at Savoyards in recent times, whilst her direction of the farcical scenario had mile-a-minute pace.

Peter Pinne

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