Two for the road

Photo: Peter Wochniak

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Who: Stages St. Louis
What: They're Playing Our Song
When: May 30 – June 29. 2014
Where: Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Community Center

It has been over three decades since I saw the 1979 Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager musical "They're Playing Our Song" on tour at the old American Theatre. I remembered it as a funny, sweet, and charming little show but, of course, memory is an unreliable witness. Is it as good as my memory said it was? And does the new Stages production do it justice?

The answer to both questions is, to quote a lyric from "Evita," "a qualified yes."

The joke-filled book by Neil Simon, based on the apparently rocky real-life relationship between Mr. Hamlisch and Ms. Sager at the time, is a bit dated now but still holds up fairly well. Neurotic but brilliant New York theatre composer Vernon Gersh is looking for a lyricist. Sonia Walsk—large of heart, free of spirit, and a half-bubble off level—applies for the job. Despite (or maybe because of) their differences, they click professionally. But the relationship soon turns romantic, and that's when things start to get messy.

Photo: Peter Wochniak

The show's tale of their romantic ups and down works because the jokes flow from the characters—not always the case with a Neil Simon script. Vernon's many one-liners and wisecracks are clearly part of his elaborate set of defense mechanisms against emotional commitment and pain. And Sonia's flakiness and inability to cut her her ties to codependent ex-boyfriend Leon (his unseen presence is a recurring gag) are the inevitable result of her basic decency.

The device of giving Vernon and Sonia each a trio of backup singer/dancers (the script calls them "Egos") in some of the songs to reflect and comment on their inner thoughts is also a nice touch. Their presence on stage lends a "big show" feel to those numbers and avoids the potential monotony that could come from a two-character musical.

The score is relatively modest—only nine songs—but most of them are real gems. They're clever, often memorable, and a good fit for the characters. "Fill in the Words," in which Vernon laments his inability to communicate his feelings without music, is one of the best, but the others—including the irresistibly catch title tune—all have their charms.

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Making his Stages debut as Vernon, Seth Rettberg plays the character as a bit more uptight and a bit less wry than I would prefer. Still, he's a good enough dancer to make Vernon's physical awkwardness credible and he ultimately allows us to see the character's vulnerability and charm, so I have to admit he made the choice work.

As Sonia, Maria Couch seemed to have not quite gotten comfortable with the role on press night, tending to play everything at the same level without a lot of variation. That will likely change as she relaxes into the part. The important thing is that she conveyed Sonia's fundamental charm, so the relationship between her and Vernon made sense. Both she and Mr. Rettberg have accurate, fluid voices that blended beautifully in their duets.

The six Egos look enough like their respective characters to be believable while still retaining enough individuality to make them great fun to watch in action. They're polished singers and dancers and they are, in alphabetical order: Craig Blake, Brittany Rose Hammond, Sarah Rolleston, Bronwyn Tarboton, Nic Thompson, and Aaron Umsted.

Photo: Peter Wochniak

Director/choreographer Stephen Bourneuf has wisely kept the action firmly rooted in the disco era, complete with some clever period dance steps for the Egos. Lou Bird's bright, echt-70s costumes continue the theme, as do James Wolk's sets, including a strikingly realistic New York City skyline for the opening scene in Vernon's penthouse apartment and a very credible sports car for Vernon and Sonia's ill-fated drive to Quogue. I thought it a bit odd that none of the phones in any of the scenes appeared to be connected to the wall, though.

The bottom line is that Stages has given us a solid production of a rarely seen and entertaining experiment from a time in theatre history when, as Mr. Bourneuf points out in his notes, the Broadway musical was in a state of transition and it was not at all clear where it was going—if anywhere. "They're Playing Our Song," he writes, "had a unique rhythm plus the feel of a straight comedic play, which took it out of the realm of a conventional musical." That set it apart from the Broadway of the past, and still makes it worth seeing today.

The Stages production of "They're Playing Our Song" runs through June 29th in the Robert G. Reim Theater at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 South Geyer Road. For more information: stagesstlouis.org.