By: Darryl Reilly
“Mary Martin was their muse,” states the narrator of Inventing Mary Martin after reciting a list of notable songwriters including Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Kurt Weill, and Rodgers and Hammerstein.
Stephen Cole conceived, wrote and co-directed this pleasant revue. Through standards and original songs, patter and dance, it informatively traces the life and career of one of the greatest musical theatre stars. In the program Mr. Cole discusses his personal connection to Mary Martin (1913 – 1990) and this along with his admiration and erudition elevate this charming homage into a seemingly definitive retrospective.
Opening with a witty original number, “Our Heart Belongs to Mary,” the talented cast gets the show off to an upbeat start. Jason Graae as the host and narrator authoritatively announces the facts as well as being a hilarious gagman. His histrionic resourcefulness is demonstrated throughout the show with old time shtick, drag and sly impressions including Bing Crosby and Noel Coward.
Cameron Adams, Lynne Halliday and Emily Skinner are the trio of sensational women who winningly channel Martin’s presence through song and dance without attempting to impersonate her.
Recreated are numbers from Martin’s 1938 to 1968 musical stage career. The hits, Leave It to Me, One Touch of Venus, South Pacific, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music and I Do! I Do!, are cleverly represented. Also depicted are flops such as Nice Goin’, Noel Coward’s London failure Pacific 1860, Jennie and the show for which she turned down Oklahoma!, Dancing in the Streets, which closed on the road.
Breezily covered are her Texas beginnings, a frustrating time in Hollywood, three Tony Awards, an Emmy Award, her two marriages and her children, son Larry Hagman and daughter Heller Halliday.
Periodically projected are well-chosen stills and film clips adding more facts and context. Most enlightening were those showing the national magazine covers she appeared on and print advertisements of products she endorsed serving as a nostalgic reminder of when a Broadway star was truly famous all over the country.
The most entertaining highlights of co-director and choreographer Bob Richard’s excellent work include a more dramatic than usual version of “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair,” and a weirdly comical “The Lonely Goatherd” with masterful Bil Baird-inspired clay puppets designed by Dan Crowley. There’s even a puppet of Martin’s longtime colleague and friendly rival Ethel Merman in her Gypsy plaid coat.
The fitting finale is Cole Porter’s risqué “My Heart Belongs to Daddy.” It’s from Martin’s Broadway debut that made her a sensation. The female trio decked out in white mink coats landed every note and double entendre.
Musical director Lawrence Goldberg on piano, Perry Cavari on percussion and Bob Renino on bass all inspiringly and seamlessly keep the music going through the many eras and styles played. This feat is made possible by the prodigious musical supervision and arrangements by David Krane.
The small-scale physical production is enhanced by the creative contributions of the technical staff. Mary Jo Dondlinger’s lighting design skillfully moves the show through numerous time periods. Inventively filling the moderately sized stage are the props, furniture, slide projections and illustrative panels of production designer Justin West and scenic designer James Morgan. The sound design of Janie Bullard very effectively blends the music, singing, slide projections and voice-overs. The cast’s often quick changes and visual appeal are greatly helped by Patricia McGourty’s superb costumes.
Inventing Mary Martin begins in earnest even before this tribute gets underway. The lobby walls of the theater are hung with programs and photographs documenting Martin’s life and career. The stage is decorated with panels displaying the titles of her shows and portraits of Martin in her signature roles. It’s all a wonderfully immersive experience and a touching reminder of her greatness.
Inventing Mary Martin (through May 25, 2014)
The York Theatre Company at St. Peter’s Church, 619 Lexington Avenue, 54th Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenue, in Manhattan
Running time: 90 minutes without an intermission