What are the odds of an actress singing all 20 tunes in a stage musical, 13 in Act 1 and seven in Act 2?
It happens in Manoa Valley Theatre’s “Tenderly, the Rosemary Clooney Musical,” playing now through July 28.
The show, by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman, stars Jennifer Cleve Sojot, who is the indefatigable trouper portraying and singing the tunes popularized by Clooney, a veteran of recordings, radio, TV, films and nightclub over a 50-span. At least in the recording realm, Clooney was sort of the Taylor Swift of her time, with oodles of hits minus an eras tour.
The production, which co-stars Lance Rae in a multitude of roles but principally as Clooney’s shrink, performs on seven selections.
The musical is modest in scope, staged on a splendid, functional set with a gorgeous circular stage with footlights (alas, no mention of the set designer in the playbill) and plenty of room for the vocal dynamics which embrace a bit of dance, too, with a dressing room in the rear. There’s also a nook that serves as Rae’s doctor office on one side of the stage, and a musical trio stationed in a pit on the opposite side.
The production has never played on Broadway, for reasons that become apparent. While the jukebox is loaded with hits, all voiced with precision and some with intensive emotions, the staging is formulaic – part “This Is Your Life” dialogue and conversation, uttered by Rae, who plays Clooney’s psychiatrist and go-to comforting shoulder, mixed with song after song after song.
The show explores Clooney’s journey, from Maysville, Kentucky, to Hollywood, in a career that had as many highs as lows. But with only two actors, director Stephanie Conching’s resources are limited, and she’s challenged to make the dialogue as fetching as the cavalcade of tunes.
But the songs are on her side — the score will bring back memories for most folks – well, the seasoned elderly crowd who grew up listening to Clooney in her prime — when everything was rosy for Clooney, who logged hit after hit after hit, some heard on radio, others featured in prime musicals in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and still others enriching the cinema of her time.
“Hey There,” “Count Your Blessings,” “Tenderly,” “Come on-a My House,” “This Ole House” and “Mamo Italiano” were Top 10 hits and Sojot does justice to ‘em all. For trivia buffs, the flipside of “Hey There” –“This Ole House” — became a hit, too, just the way Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” trademark earned seasonal attention with “Mele Kalikimaka” on the flipside.
For his part, Rae is a workhorse, too, doing shtick of sorts and literally wearing many hats, as Clooney’s sister Betty and mother. He also has quickie appearances as Bing Crosby (the crooner), Jose Ferrer (film director and divorced hubby) and Dante dePaolo (her husband).
Rae dons an apron to play mom, puts on a hat and smokes a pipe as Crosby, and wears a scarf as Ferrer, quickie visuals to portray key figures in Clooney life. He is hilarious and puts on a zany face, when he co-sings “Botch-a-Me” as Dante and is quite a smooth tango dancer as Ferrer when he joins Clooney on “Sway.” Further, he’s a name-dropper, chatting about Frank Sinatra a couple of times, for instance.
Clooney’s troubled life – depression, addiction, frustration – is depicted between tunes. And she turns to her doctor whenever there’s a crisis.
Of course, the show ends on a happy note.
Miki Yamamto is music director and keyboarder in a three-musician ork, joined by Peter Meyer (bass) and Darin Ujimori (drums), providing orchestral support for every tune heard. Take a bow, guys.
Technically, lighting (by Bri Fuller) and sound (by Mattea Mazzella) are spot-on; hair and makeup by Lisa Ponce de Leon reflect styes of the decades, and James Wright’s choreography embraces nimble turns and twists, easy on the pair of actors. Devin Walter’s costuming includes a basic tweed vest and skirt for Clooney throughout most of the show, plus a slinky gown for the finale. His task for Rae was to provide several basic jackets and a couple of hats, for swift on-stage changes. Willie Sabel is credited as the show’s technical director, and no certainty if the wonderful, attractive stage set was his doing. If so, bravo!..
‘Tenderly,’ the Rosemary Clooney Musical
What: a musical biography of Rosemary Clooney, by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman, about the star of recordings, radio, nightclubs, TV and movies, and her struggles with addiction, depression and frustrations
Where: Manoa Valley Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, July 11 to 21. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, with a 3 p.m. matinee on July 21; additional performances July 27 and 28
Tickets: $25 to $47, available at www.manoavalleytheatre.com and (808) 988-6131
‘Lion King’ reclaims No. 1 spot on Broadway
“The Lion King” is back atop the Broadway gross mountain, with the departure last week of “Merrily We Roll Along.”
So only two musicals now are $2 million clubbers in the Top 10, for the week ending July 14:
1—”The Lion King,” $2.483 million.
2—”Wicked,” $2.103 million
3—”Hamilton,” $1.922 million
4—”Hell’s Kitchen”, $1.687 million
5—”Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” $1,609 million.
6—”Aladdin,” $1.517 million.
7—”The Outsiders,” $1.390 million.
8—”MJ the Musical,” $1.368 million.
9—”Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $1.307 million
10—”The Wiz,” $1,240 million
The complete list, courtesy the Broadway Guild:
And that’s Show Biz…