University of Virginia Library

Big Time Sound

There were fourteen musical
numbers, generally clever and
bright, built on borrowed tunes
ranging from "Camelot" to "Wait
'Til the Sun Shines, Nellie" to "Let
It Be." The ten-piece orchestra
provided an amusingly sloppy
caricature of the "big-time"
musical-comedy sound. When not
striking up the band, leader
Stephen Dichter played an
accompanying accordion to many
of the show's quieter numbers.

The relish and theatrical savvy
with which the performers brought
off the show was no less than
amazing. Much credit goes to
director-author Horowitz for giving
the play just the right amount of
direction; but talent was evident all
over the stage. Most of the show's
fun centered on Horowitz'
exuberant parody of Dean Paulsen
("All the world loves a fat man")
and Chris Sumner's hilarious and
deadly accurate take-off on
"Charlie" Whitebread, a man
determined to step over "the
potted palm in the great lobby of
life." Superb in supporting roles
were Donald Woodman as Emerson
Spies, chief of three
witches-turned-property-teachers,
and Robert Wolf as Charlie Woltz,
the plastic-faced "Gator." Molly
Powell as the Queen and Linda
Fairstein as a romping Lady Macrad
were both fine. John Finley created
an excellent portrayal of Calvin
Woodard, while James Kabler's
parody of Peter Low was
outstanding.