Venus, a Musical at The Ritz Theater on 5/9/09
By: David de Young
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| Venus, a Musical - Photo by Michal Daniel |
Allow me to get my criticisms out of the way: the band was too loud in the mix, there were other audio and mic problems the night I saw the show, many of the jokes fell flat, and a few songs reminded me a bit too much of “The Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie. (Okay, “The Rainbow Connection” is a great song, so maybe that’s not a real criticism.) At the same time, I’m not sure the last time I saw a show with such fresh energy bursting with so much clear potential. Venus is a no brainer for audiences to root for. The talented cast gives 110 percent. (Mathematical possibilities be damned, it was more than that.) And as an audience you can’t help but respond.
Twin Cities music legend Chan Poling of The Suburbs and more recently of The New Standards spent by some accounts 10 years assembling the show that debuted this past week at The Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis. Poling had a lot to live up to in my my mind. The New Standards holiday show at the Fitzgerald Theater was likely the best live music event I saw in the Twin Cities in 2008, and an early ‘90s performance by the Suburbs at Grand Old Day in St. Paul is one of the top three concert experiences of my life.
The storyline of Venus goes basically like this: Doctor Margaret Kennedy (played by Broadway veteran Jennifer Leigh Warren), a research professor, stumbles upon a fountain of youth elixir while mixing lotus flower essence and Altoids. She uses her discovery to land a job as a supermodel, who adopts the name Venus (after the song popularized by Bananarama), and following a short stint in the superficial fast-lane she finally achieves self-acceptance and finds true love. The story is far-fetched yet familiar (it’s partially a female Jekyll & Hyde tale), and the Jekyll & Hyde gimmick makes for one of the show’s many groaners, when Venus shows up late for a public appearance saying, “Sorry I’m late. I had to change.”
Anchored by Warren as Dr. Kennedy (known to her friends as Maggie), the cast is relentless. They are unified in performing as if they really care about this production from the moment they step on stage until the curtain call. Warren, admirably, never let on when a microphone failure early in the show left her to do much of the first act without the use of monitors.
Rounding out the well-balanced central cast are Joel Liestman as Harry (Maggie’s secret love interest), Jody Briskey as Jo, who plays a spunky and wise jean-jacket-wearing middle-aged woman most of us will recognize. Shawn Hamilton plays the role of Damon expansively and reminded me of a not quite as cool MC Hammer, and Ian Holcomb shined as Troy, a role which at one point had the potential to take the show over in hint of a sub-plot which was abruptly cut short before it had a chance to develop.
The direction and choreography by Myron Johnson was artful and precise, and the graceful physical interaction of the full cast when they are all onstage together is one of the impressions you’ll be left with at the end of the show. The pacing that Johnson brings to Poling’s script is one of the reasons the show works. It’s injected with energy and music and never drags even when the jokes miss and some short scenes go by leaving you wondering what just happened.
The band assembled for this production is a bit of a supergroup and features many musicians familiar to those who follow the local music scene, including Steve Roehm vibes player from The New Standards on drums, Brian Roessler of the Fantastic Merlins on bass, Dan Schwartz on guitar, Sanford Moore (Moore by Four) on piano and Gregory Theisen on keyboards.
Venus plays through May 24th. Tickets and more information from http://www.ritztheaterfoundation.org
Location Info:
The Ritz Theater
Artist Info: Ballet of the Dolls
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