A Taste of the Sound That Says Love...Applause

When Applause, the musical adaptation of the movie All About Eve bowed on Broadway in 1970, it starred screen legend Lauren Bacall. She played Margo Channing, a one-time screen star who had shifted her career to Broadway, and who found herself battling not only with fears of aging, but also a scheming would-be starlet, Eve Harrington. The role of Margo Channing (and it's a name that seems to warrant the use of both birth and surnames) in the movie, of course, was originated by Bette Davis, and even for those of use who grew up listening to the original cast recording of the Charles Strouse (music) and Lee Adams (lyrics) score, there seemed to be a certain juiciness to Bacall, with her deep smoky voice, taking on the role made infamous by Davis, whose clipped and vaguely British line readings have inspired generations of imitators, both male and female

For this past weekend's staging of Applause as the opener of the 2008 Encores! series, Christine Ebersole took on the role made famous by Davis and Bacall. Fresh from her Tony Award-winning turn in Grey Gardens, Ebersole is an interesting choice. She's done her stint in Hollywood, and has returned to New York to triumph not only in "Gardens," but in shows like 42nd Street (for which she also won a Tony) where she played Dorothy Brock, the aging musical comedy star whose broken ankle allows a completely unknown chorus girl to achieve overnight stardom.

Ebersole's work in these two shows, on certain levels, points toward certain success for her in assuming the role of Margo Channing. In both "Gardens" (in the first act in particular) and 42nd Street, Ebersole brought a larger-than-life imperiousness to the stage. Concurrently, Ebersole was able to communicate a certain vulnerability that made these characters human, and that's also a requisite for Applause and "Eve." We have to believe this queen of the theater is capable of loving her director Bill Sampson (Michael Park) and of being wounded by Eve's schemes.

Interestingly, an illness that plagued Ebersole all last week – meaning that she had to miss a great many rehearsals and went on at less than 100% - led to a further parallel between her past work and the story in Applause. (Could there have been an Eve backstage waiting for her chance to blossom in this staging directed by Kathleen Marshall? Most likely not, but this is after all the stuff of theatrical fairy tales.) Illness or no, go on Ebersole did – and while the human side of Margo Channing shone through – beautifully throughout – some of the character's grandiosity and "Queen Bee" characteristics were not in evidence as much as one might have hoped. At times, in fact, one almost wondered how this woman might have survived in the studio system of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Still Ebersole gave a performance that truly did make one rethink not only the role of Margo Channing, but also the Strouse/Adams score. A torch song that Margo sings one night as she pines for her beau who's off making a film in Rome suddenly churned with emotion in a 70s pop-sound that was never heard in Bacall's original vocals.

For Marshall's production (which unfolded with ease on a clever set from John Lee Beatty that made it feel as though one were watching a show unfold on a Broadway stage peering out into the house), a host of Broadway veterans provided color and some choicely turned performances. Chip Zien and Kate Burton shone as Margo's nebbish-y playwright and his well-heeled Radcliffe-educated wife. Mario Cantone provided a beautifully muted turn as Margo's fey hairdresser. Tom Hewitt oozed charm and a bit of menace as the Broadway producer who sets his sights on Eve (a revision to the Addison DeWitt character from the movie) and Megan Sikora brought zest to the Broadway gypsy who delivers the show's title song.

As backstabbing Eve, Erin Davie (Ebersole's co-star from "Gardens") actually did convince as Eve – ever-so-retiring – first makes her appearance, and while Eve's transformation didn't always convince – Davie, too, seems just a bit too nice – Davie delivered her 11 o'clock with blistering intensity.

City Center's Encores! series will continue next month with a staging of Juno Marc Blitzstein and Joseph Stein's musical adaptation of Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock. It will play from March 27 through 30. Then, in May, No, No, Nanette will be featured, running from May 8 through 12.

I've already started thinking about these two, which will star, respectively Victoria Clark, and Sandy Duncan. During my recent move I made sure that Don Dunn's "The Making of No, No Nanette" made it to the top of a must-read pile (and if you're looking for a copy there are a few to be had on Amazon.com). Later this month, I'll start up my prep work for the two by listening to the Fynsworth Alley re-release of the original cast recording of Juno, which can still be purchased with a visit to Fynsworth Alley or Footlight Records online.

Quick links:

City Center: http://www.citycenter.org/
Fynsworth Alley: http://www.fynsworthalley.com/
Footlight: http://www.footlight.com/