NEW YORK—The music of Hoagy Carmichael (1899–1981) takes center stage in “Stardust Road.” Presented by The York Theatre Company at its temporary home at Theatre at St. Jeans, the show offers audiences the chance to experience some time-honored classics. Tunes which include “Ole Buttermilk Sky,” “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening,” “Lazy River,” and of course “Stardust.” All presented by an enthusiastic and talented cast.
Spanning several decades, the story begins “somewhere in Indiana” at the recently sold Stardust Roadhouse, where a group of friends gather to bid the place farewell. In short order we are introduced to Max (Dion Simmons Grier), the former owner; Clara (Sara Esty), who works there serving drinks; Bessie (Danielle Herbert), a flapper and so-called “good time girl”; socialite Gloria (Kayla Jenerson); Max’s friend Wallace (Mike Schwitter); ladies’ man Charlie (Cory Lingner); and Buster (Markcus Blair). Buster being a nervous sort wearing a college sweater and quite out of his element when it comes to the opposite sex.
No Ongoing Thread
As the scenes and decades shift to a nightclub in 1930s Harlem, a USO canteen during World War II, and a Hollywood nightclub in the 1950s, the characters involved are meant to be the same throughout. However, any linkage between prior or succeeding sequences comes off as tenuous as best, except for the final scene, which brings the story back to Roadhouse where the production tries to tie everything together. Yet nearly all of what’s presented in-between comes off more as stand-alone pieces rather than something with an ongoing thread.The problem is those who helped develop the musical, a group which includes, in addition to Carmichael’s son, choreographer Michael Lichtefeld, director Susan H. Schulman, and music supervisor and arranger Lawrence Yurman; all seem so intent on showcasing the songs that most other elements are pushed to the side.
As a result, the final product ends up being a cross between a story about “six friends and the man who brought them all together” (as noted in the script and press release) and a jukebox musical determined to shoehorn as many Carmichael songs as possible into the show’s running time.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a strong enough connection for the former, while the latter is crying out for a narrator of some sort to relate a bit of history or trivia to go with the different songs, a process that could easily have been handled by the different members of the cast.
While there is a fuller explanation of the characters and story in the character descriptions of the actual script, this is also something the average audience member would not have access.
Great Music
That’s not to say there’s nothing here that can be enjoyed. Quite the contrary, as Carmichael ’s music, which ranges from haunting ballads to snappy dance numbers, is given quite attentive care.It helps tremendously that many of the numbers are tailored to the specific cast members. Highlights include the comic tunes “Come Easy Go Easy Love” by Herbert. Then there is “Don’t Forget to Say ‘No’,” which the men sing to the women as they prepare to head off to war; a haunting rendition of “Georgia on my Mind” by Grier; and the wistful “Just a Shade on the Blue Side” by Esty. This last song is one of several show-stopping moments in the production.
Enjoyable group numbers include “Old Man Harlem,” “Sing Me a Swing Song (and Let Me Dance),” and “Charlie Two-Step,” which features a fantastic dance sequence by Linger. Linger also gets to show off his footwork in “The Rumba Jumps.” In a nice touch, the program offers a detailed list of all the songs used in the show for reference. The directorial, choreographic, and orchestral work is, for the most part, spot-on.
The only song that feels out of place, out of the more than 40 included, is “Heart and Soul.” The number is sung for some reason as a rock n' roll tune, which it was in one of its later versions. Yet doing so here causes the piece to feel completely out of synch, especially since it’s sandwiched between two other, more melodic pieces. The song might have worked better if it were presented as the opening number at the Club Heart and Soul in Hollywood.
Costume design work by Alex Allison is excellent throughout, in particular, the ones used for the 1930s Harlem sequence, each of which simply scream “elegance.” The sets by James Morgan and Vincent Gunn, basically a series of backdrops with chairs and tables, all work well to easily and quickly place the story in the time depicted.
“Stardust Road” certainly has a lot to offer, but ultimately feels like a too-airy soufflé. Enjoyable to be sure, but not really all that filling.
