"Grand Hotel, The Musical"
By Luther Davis/Robert Wright/George Forrest
At The Walnut Street Theater
Reviewed by J. Cooper Robb for Theatre Reviews Limited
"Grand Hotel, The Musical" is the latest in a series of adaptations spawned
by Austrian author Vicki Baum's 1929 novel "Menschen im Hotel" ("People
in a Hotel"). The original stage version dramatized by Braum appeared
the following year in Berlin before moving to New York featuring a 52-member
cast and a series of elaborate set changes. In 1932 MGM released the Academy
Award winning film "Grand Hotel" starring Greta Garbo and Lionel Barrymore,
and in 1958 the first musical version titled "At the Grand" starring Paul
Muni was produced in California, though the Broadway bound show never
reached the east coast when Muni abandoned the project. The story served
as the premise for the ill-fated TV series "Hotel" starring James Brolin
before finally reaching New York in 1989 where the current musical version
captured 5 Tony awards.
"Grand Hotel" concerns an array of characters at Europe's most expensive
Hotel. Economics and social status are the mitigating factors in Germany's
Weimar Republic, separating the occupants and staff of the hotel into
the categories of the privileged and the workers. However, in Luther Davis'
fine book these divisions are more complicated than they first appear.
The handsome and extremely idle Baron Felix Von Gaigern and the aging
ballerina Elizveta Grushinskaya have squandered their fortunes while the
terminally ill Jewish bookkeeper Otto Kringelein (Tony Freeman) has patiently
amassed a large sum. Thrown into the mix is the struggling and increasingly
ruthless capitalist Preysing (Gary Taggert) and the typist movie starlet
wanna-be Flaemmchen (Jill Powell).
The proceedings start slowly with a series of expository solos where each
character grabs center stage as if we were watching a parade of auditions,
performing what amounts to a succession of monotonous musical monologues.
However, once director Bruce Lumpkin has gotten all the principals introduced
the production is now able to flex its considerable theatrical muscle.
Similar to his 1998 production of "The Goodbye Girl," Lumpkin has a flair
for transforming mediocre musical material into satisfying theater. With
a huge assist from John Farrell's set design, Jeffrey S. Koger's lighting,
and particularly Santo Loquasto's lavish costumes (which won him a 1990
Tony), Lumpkin has a fine sense of pace, carefully revealing plot lines
while building the show's momentum. "Grand Hotel" is wisely staged without
an intermission as Lumpkin subtly lures the audience into this decadent
world.
The show's dichotomous tone is both its chief asset and major conundrum.
Lumpkin must blend the fantasy world of the Berlin hotel; one of the final
bastions of the idle rich, with the stark reality of a fragile post war
economy, which is increasingly pervading through the hotel's gilded revolving
door. Lumpkin balances these parallel universes beautifully, back dropping
the regal hotel lobby with the Baron as petty thief, 3 muscular oppressed
workers (who appear to have walked out of Eugene O'Neill's "The Hairy
Ape:), and a very disturbing example of sexual harassment.
The cast is full of fine voices but is marred by a wide range of acting
talents and some curious age blind casting choices. David Hess is superb
vocally but far too old to play the 31 year old Baron convincingly (he's
the spitting image of a 50 year old Peter O'Toole). At the other extreme
the youthful Tony Freeman is fine portraying the elderly bookkeeper Kringlein
physically, but betrays his age when bursting into song. The show's best
performances are neither spoken nor sung but belong to the marvelous Bonnie
Diaz (The Countess) and Robert Anthony Vance (The Gigolo) whose gorgeous
and spectacular dance portraying love and death is the production's highpoint.
"Grand Hotel, The Musical" with its magnificent set, splendid period costumes,
class conflict, and numerous characters who bask in frivolity it is at
times vaguely reminiscent of the legendary "My Fair Lady". However, not
only is the music of Robert Wright and George Forrest with additional
songs by Maury Yeston no match for Lerner and Loewe, but "Grand Hotel"
is far darker in its subject matter. "Grand Hotel" works better as a social
drama than a period musical, and for all of Lumpkin's considerable directing
talents, there is only so much that can be achieved with a musical that
doesn't contain a single memorable tune. Nevertheless, with its million-dollar
budget well spent it is an impressive physical production. And while it
may not send you out of the theater whistling a happy, catchy refrain,
"Grand Hotel, The Musical" has enough going for it to no doubt keep the
Walnut's 48,000 subscribers happily signing up for another year. Reviewed
on opening night May 19th
"GRAND HOTEL, THE MUSICAL"
Book by Luther Davis,
music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest, additional songs
by Maury Yeston. Directed by Bruce Lumpkin, choreographer Richard Stafford,
music/vocal director Sherman Frank, set design John Ferrell, costume coordinator
Colleen McMillan, lighting design Jeffrey S. Kroger, sound design Scott
Smith
STARRING: Edmund Lyndeck (Col. Dr. Otternschlag), Bonnie Diaz (The Countess),
Robert Anthony Vance (The Gigolo), Dan Schiff (Rhona, the Grand Concierge),
Jeffrey Coon (Erik, Front Desk), David Jackson and David A. White (The
Two Jimmys), John-Charles Kelly (Zinnowitz, the Lawyer), Lee Golden (Sandor,
the Impresario), Gary Taggert (Preysing), Jill Powell (Flaemmchen), Tony
Freeman (Otto Kringelein), David Hess (Baron Von Gaigern), Connie Nelson
(Raffaela), Natalie Mosco (Elizaveta Grushinskaya), Joan Hess (The Hotel
Courtesan)
PLAYING AT: The Walnut Street Theater 9th & Walnut through June 27th,
Tickets $8-$45 phone (215) 574-3550, ext. 4, Groups 15 or more (215) 574-3550,
ext. 504