The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/31966
‘Sugar’ is sweet and sassy “Humor is reason gone mad.” Groucho Marx’s famous quotation was confirmed by Orpheus Theatre’s produc- tion of the musical comedy “Sugar.” The company’s enthusiastic cast of approximately three dozen actors and talented orchestra presented this cheer- ful and silly farce on May 13-15 in SUNY Oneonta’s Goodrich Theatre. I am a proponent of the belief that theatre should often be a thought-provoking and powerful art form which has the ability to change one’s perspectives on life or society. However, sometimes it should just be entertainment which offers a joyous escape from reality. This latter form of entertainment can be equally important, especially during difficult times such as today when gloomy news dominates our headlines. Orpheus Theatre’s production successfully fell into this second category and provided two hours of pure sequined escapism, which was warmly embraced by the diverse audience. “Sugar” is a 1972 musical which is based on the 1959 Hollywood film “Some Like It Hot.” The musical follows the same plot as that blockbuster com- edy which featured Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, and Tony Curtis. The action begins when two unemployed musicians, the “penniless bums” Joe and Jerry, inadvertently witness a Chicago gangland massacre. The two musicians escape the gangsters and seek to join a traveling band and skip town to Miami. The only catch is that it’s an all-female band and the men will therefore be re- quired to disguise themselves as women to elude capture. Obviously, hilarity en- sues. Joe (aka Josephine) subsequently falls in love with “Sugar”, the bombshell lead singer of the all-female group; an eccentric and elderly millionaire falls in love with Jerry (aka Daphne). Additional plot details are more or less irrelevant and merely act as devices which allow for the characters to behave in an increasingly irrational, absurd and humorous manner. I was initially skeptical toward the premise of this musical. Comedy and society have evolved a lot since the 1959 and 1972 debuts of the movie and musical versions of “Sugar”. In those years, the images of a man in a dress or two men dancing with one an- other were enough in themselves to elicit laughter from audiences. I predicted that because this behavior is less taboo and transgressive in today’s society, the characters would no longer appear as ridiculous or bizzare. I was wrong. The actions and motivations of the charac- ters still came off as absurd and nonsen- sical, and the humor was not lost. The players did a superb job. The strong singing voices of the two male leads, Michael Valinoti (Joe) and SUNY Oneonta sophomore Mark Durkee (Jerry), were matched by their clear line delivery and adept dance steps. This is made all the more impressive when one takes into account the intimidating height of the heels worn by the actors. Sarah Lynn Serafin (“Sugar”) was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy in her portrayal of the charming and likable love interest. The supporting ac- tors all supplied additional comic relief, particularly the clowning Owen Ayre as the over-the-top millionaire yachtsman Sir Osgood Fielding. The boisterous musical numbers and shimmering sets and costumes tied the whole production together in a fast-paced and buoyant spectacle. “Sugar” was a welcome escape from the complications and troubles of the real world. It allowed the audience members to kick up their (high) heels and embrace silliness for a few hours. Bravo to Or- pheus Theatre for a job well done. _ Andrew Stammel Julie Lewis From left, Jerry, played by Mark Durkee, Sugar Kane, played by Sarah Lynn Serafin, and Joe, played by Mi- chael Valinoti, perform in a scene from ‘Sugar.’ May 19, 2011 O-Town Scene 11