Review: "The Boyfriend"

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Posted: December 6, 2008 - 12:14 am

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By MAIA NOLAN

"The Boy Friend" opened Friday night at Cyrano's, and while the premiere had its weak moments, the show appears likely to settle nicely into a fun holiday outing the whole family can enjoy.

Opening night started, as opening nights are wont to do, with a few technical snags; first there were some moments of awkward silence punctuated by audible shouts from backstage, and then there was the electric piano that wouldn't play. After a minute or two of fiddling with sound, the cast started to enter sans accompaniment, and even after the piano started working, the lights didn't come up, and the first verse of the opening number was sung more or less in the dark.

Once the kinks were worked out, however, "The Boy Friend" picked up momentum rapidly. The supporting cast is young, energetic and eager, and some of the actresses appear to have been studying Clara Bow and Mary Pickford closely to pick up a Roaring Twenties expressiveness that makes them look like they hopped right off a can of Clabber Girl baking powder.

They've also mastered the warbling, watery soprano that evokes the era, and they giggle admirably well, maintaining a near-constant stream of titters from the moment they first appear onstage to the final curtain call. Audience favorites on Friday included Blaze Bell as the flirtatious Maisie; Scarlett Kittylee Boudreaux as high-strung Hortense; and Ivory Bodnar, who is Betty Boop-perfect as heroine Polly's ditzy classmate Dulcie.

Polly herself is played by Lindsay Lamar, and while Lamar is a fine singer, dancer and actress, her Polly is somehow not as compelling as one might like in the heroine of a madcap musical. Lamar is visibly older than the women playing her classmates, which, given her wide-eyed, girlish demeanor, could easily be camouflaged; however, her hair and makeup are plain, and her costumes are almost dowdy compared to the other girls'. A little more color and a few pincurls would go a long way toward making Lamar seem like the 17-year-old schoolgirl she's supposed to be.

"The Boy Friend" himself, Tony, is played by David Powell, who is absolutely adorable and a terrifically charming actor — but whose singing and dancing fall sadly short. You can't help but like Powell's Tony, though, even when he's a little flat.

Speaking of singing and dancing — on the whole, it's well done, which is great considering it's the show's bread and butter. "The Boyfriend" isn't exactly long on plot. Expect a few variations on: Boy meets girl. Boy and girl sing and dance. Enter chorus. All sing and dance.

The good news is, the singing and dancing is the best part, although Cyrano's intimate space presents some challenges for choreographer Megan Bladow. Some of the choreography is really better suited for a proscenium stage than for Cyrano's up-close-and-personal thrust setup, and audience members seated along the sides of the stage are occasionally left out of the action. Make sure to arrive early and grab a seat in the center section.

"The Boy Friend" runs Thurs.-Sat. at 7 p.m. and Sun. at 3 p.m. through Dec. 23 at Cyrano's Off-Center Playhouse, 413 D Street. Tickets at centertix.net or 263-2787.

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