From left, Alex Getlin, Benjamin Eakeley, Mamie Parris and Justin Keyes are ensemble members in the revue Anything Can Happen in the Theater at the York Theatre Company.
Be prepared for an evening of delight at Anything Can Happen in the Theater, a revue that features the music and lyrics of acclaimed Broadway composer Maury Yeston. The numbers, primarily chosen from Yeston’s shows—Nine, Grand Hotel, Titanic, and In the Beginning—run the gamut from whimsical, poignant, upbeat, and celebratory to seductive, satirical, and altogether charming.
Gerard Alessandrini, who conceived and directed Anything Can Happen, has assembled a talented and diverse cast of two women (Mamie Parris and Alex Getlin) and three men (Benjamin Eakeley, Jovan E’Sean, and Justin Keyes). Their energy, humor, and charisma help draw the audience into the onstage magic they create—75 minutes of bliss.
Jovan E’Sean sings one of composer Maury Yeston’s songs, accompanied by Greg Jarrett.
There is no plot, and yet Alessandrini has blocked and choreographer Gerry McIntyre has included dance in “scenes” that work off “storylines.” The results are greater than skits but never fully develop as dramas. Each of the actor/singers excels in a little musical drama, and at the same time they meld gracefully with their fellow performers.
Under the musical direction of Greg Jarrett, the show opens to a raucous start with “Anything Can Happen in the Theater,” an admission that “an actor will do anything for work.” It is a colorful and self-deprecating satire of actors’ willingness to take sometimes ludicrous roles just to stay employed. It is followed by Shimmy Like They Do in Paree (from Death Takes a Holiday) and I Want to Go to Hollywood (from Grand Hotel). The latter, sung by Parris, is an apt and ironic follow-up to the ladder and specter of unemployment for actors. She sings, “I wanna be that girl with gorgeous hair / up on a silver screen most everywhere / in the world!” On the poignant side, “Danglin” is wistfully sung by Alex Getlin: “Seems like I never knew when it’s time to let go.” Her outstanding voice surely resonated with those who have held on with false hope to a relationship whose end has come.
Although the actors are all competent and engaging professionals, some performances and performers shine more brightly than others. Eakeley, for instance, has the talent, training, and stage presence to appear in the finest opera houses and Broadway productions. Getlin, a relatively fresh face, shows off a voice that resonates both a maturity and a credibility, so that you believe her as “dangling.” Parris seems to have been cast largely as a seductress and provocateur, but one can also imagine apple pie, Americana, and the girl next door, as well as a disappointed Guido’s girl-of-the-moment (from Nine). Both E’Sean and Keyes are charming and gifted as actors/singers/dancers, although the limitations of the parts they have don’t suggest the broader range of their abilities.
Parris, Eakley and Getlin harmonize.
The deceptively simple set, costumes, and lighting belie a strategic harmony and serenity that weave their way through the program. It takes but a shawl or cloth cleverly draped by costume designer Melinda Hare to transform the simple black dress that Alex Getlin dons in earlier numbers to a more sophisticated outfit. A colorful umbrella twirled by Mamie Parris speaks to the angst that Parris may feel, being only one of Guido’s women. A few touches here and there (including lighting by Jacob Zedek) make all the difference in creating a unified ambiance for a scene and song.
One only wishes, overall, that despite enthusiastic applause between numbers, there had been a little more organization of the songs to provide some background and context for those audience members who were not privileged to have seen the original works.
Gerard Alessandrini’s Anything Can Happen in the Theater: The Musical World of Maury Yeston plays at the York Theater (619 Lexington Ave.; St. Peter’s Church building) through Dec. 29. Evening performances are at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and at 8 p.m. Saturday; matinees are at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. For more information, call the box office at (212) 925-5820 or visit yorktheatre.org.
