Frances “Wally” Wolodsky (Kaitlyn Davidson) kicks the building of the Empire State Building into high gear.
Empire, a musical about the building of the Empire State Building—has a lot of heart. Set in three time periods—1929, 1930, and 1976—the story moves back and forth between Sylvie Lee (Julia Louise Hosack) and Mohawk Grandmother (April Ortiz) in the 1970s and the character of Frances Belle Wolodsky (Kaitlyn Davidson), a.k.a. “Wally,” a firecracker of a woman who is classy in pants, working her magic in a man’s world in the 1920s and ’30s, as the iconic skyscraper is being built.
Wally soars through the sky with a little help from her friends.
The book by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull, who also share the music and lyrics credit, is peppered with real and imagined characters The historical figures: John J. Raskob (Albert Guerzon), Mayor James “Jimmy” Walker (Devin Cortez) and Gov. Alfred E. “Al” Smith (Paul Salvatoriello), show the challenges and politics involved in erecting the tallest building in the world (at the time). Wally (a fictional character) centers the men who vie for attention and are full of “ego and ambition,” while she calls welders and riveters and puts pressure on contractors and building code inspectors to make sure the concrete, steel, and bolts are delivered. Along the way, she hurls zingy one-liners: “This is bigger than America—this is New York City!” When Al Smith says, “You’re a sentimental fellow, Wally. That’s what I love about you,” she retorts, “Well, I am part woman, on my mother’s side.”
The side stories of the fictionalized characters spotlight the myriad of immigrants and Mohawk ironworkers who scaled the dizzying structure to complete the job. Ethan O’Dowd (J Savage) and his wife, Emily (Morgan Cowling), are Irish newcomers expecting their second child. When Emily asks Ethan to quit working on the high beams, he tells her, “It’s not so easy to find a dream, and this one got handed to me.”
Jesse Bland (played soulfully by Danny Iktomi Bevins), a Mohawk (men of the tribe helped build many bridges and skyscrapers in New York City) believes the work is not just a job but a calling. Joe Pakulski (Devin Cortez), an immigrant from Poland with a penchant for poetry, says: “We will build the castles in the sky.” And Billy (played by Joel Douglas, a phenomenal dancer), from a small town in Missouri who’s come to the big city to find work, recognizes the significance of this moment in history, and he’s glad to be part of it.
One person who opposes the project is Mrs. Janet Arthur (played hilariously by Alexandra Frohlinger), a member of high society whose beloved Waldorf Astoria hotel on Fifth Avenue (there were two on this site at the time), are being demolished to make room for the skyscraper. She is at once frenetic and cool— she advances on the Governor, skittering like a manic rat to make her point, only to sashay away, hand in the air in a snobbish posture, once she has made it. In the end, she champions the building because she “likes a winner.” Built in a little over a year at a 102 stories, and tall and thin like a pencil, it was the tallest and grandest endeavor of the time.
Goodie Goodheart (Alexandra Frohlinger) and Mayor Jimmy Walker (Devin Cortez) get happy in a flapper dance. Photographs by Matthew Murphy.
Cady Huffman’s direction keeps the action going, and Lorna Ventura’s choreography is fun and fast. The cast are standout movers and, although many of the songs are corny, there are some catchy numbers including “Everybody Up, Heyday” and “Al’s Moxie.” Shannon Slater’s subtle sound design incorporates soft Native American chants, the clanging of metal on metal, and the noise of daily life in a big city. Walt Spangler’s sturdy set juxtaposes the scaffolding, which the cast climb as they “build” the skyscraper, with an office where the planning work is done. Jamie Roderick’s sumptuous lighting of saturated reds, pinks, and purples, coupled with bright white, bring night and day, interior and exterior, to life. Costumes by Tina McCartney effectively capture the wide range of characters from the working class to the haute class of the 1920s. The full band, led by Gillian Berkowitz, is hidden away in the traditional fashion of a house band but blast out (in a good way) the cornucopia of musical styles of the ’20s and ’30s.
While a story about a building can only go so far, and it’s not totally clear what purpose the generational perspective of the three women serves, the characters are engrossing in their struggles and desires. Wally believes the Empire State Building is a second chance. In a post WWI and Depression era America, building it brought jobs and hope and “one sunset on the ground, and another in the sky.” In the finale, the cast sing, “today is the day that this dream belongs to us,” celebrating a building that sits at the center of the city; its changing lights serving as a beacon to celebrate holidays and world events, even when days feel dark.
Empire runs through Sept. 22 at New World Stages (340 .W 50th St.). Evening performances are at 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays and at 8 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday; matinees are at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. For tickets and more information, visit empirethemusical.com.
Book, Music & Lyrics: Caroline Sherman & Robert Hull
Direction: Cady Huffman
Choreography: Lorna Ventura
Set: Walt Spangler
Lighting: Jamie Roderick
Costumes: Tina McCartney
Sound: Shannon Slaton
