Dan Myers
The darling duo: Tiffany Orr as Polly and Jordan Humpal as Tony.
The venerable Madison Theatre Guild celebrates the opening of its 70th season with Sandy Wilson’s musical comedy, The Boy Friend. The production — which opens Friday, Sept. 11, and runs at the Bartell Theater through Sept. 26 — marks the fourth time MTG has performed the show. The Boy Friend pokes fun at the English stage musicals of the 1920s, and, under the steady guidance of directors Jim Chiolino and Justin Wilder, the company delivers an excellent spoof.
Beginning in the drawing room of Madame Dubonnet’s Finishing School, student Polly Browne (Tiffany Orr) is desperate for a boy to call her own in time for the carnival ball. Her desperation is of her own making, as she lied to her classmates and said the boy already exists. To her delight, Polly happens upon a messenger boy named Tony and is immediately smitten. But now she must come to terms with the class disparities her father has clearly delineated.
Orr’s delightful smile and soaring soprano pair well with the shy demeanor of Tony (Jordan Humpal). As other couples, like Madame Dubonnet (a sassy Sarah C. Streich) and Polly’s father, Percival Browne (Terry Christopher), navigate their way through courtship with seeming ease, the awkward encounters of Polly and Tony are made all the more endearing.
As the uptight father, Christopher stands rigid, his hands grasping his lapels as he expels plenty of “harrumphs.” Over the course of the play he undergoes a transformation, slowly letting go of his old ways, as well as his lapels.
The cast runs into problems related to diction and volume. Lyrics are wordy and quick, which can be challenging, especially for the younger performers. Much of the play’s humor comes from phrases that are easily lost without proper enunciation. At the preview, the song “Nicer in Nice” was difficult to understand, as the voices melded together or succumbed to the power of the pit orchestra.
This cast, crew and orchestra should be commended for their perseverance. The night of the preview, the pianist had to be replaced due to an emergency. Haley O’Neill filled in, having only seen the sheet music 15 minutes prior to curtain, and did a spectacular job.