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a?╟÷^&Z^WETVf)_______________ Legit Reviews Seven Brides For Seven . Brothers (Music Center Pavilion; $27.50 top) The Lafry Kasha-David Lan-day staging of the 1954 MGMusi-cal, "Steven Brides For Seven Brothers," headed for a midsummer Brdadway opening, has a lot of work to do before it gets to the Big Apple. Show bowed In San Diego during last Iplttstibas holiday season and Showed k lot of promise. It's been playing in major cities since that t|me and at its opening of the 1&82 L.A. divic Light Opera sdasbh mib^day at the Music Center Pavilion, it?╟╓s obvious the creative team has been at work on improvements. Whether the changes that have been made have been that beneficial is hard to tell. But there hasn?╟╓t been enough improvement in star Debby Boone?╟╓s acting ability. She?╟╓s still displaying a strong and lovely voice and has limbered up in her movements, but there Still ii no rapport between her and DaV-Ld-James Carroll, the competihg lovebirds upon whom the whole show depends. The "recognition scene?╟╓?╟╓ ?╟÷ i.e., when the lovers first meet ?╟÷ is an "across a crowded room" type of encounter and the audience can almost hear the silent violins playing. But from that point on, no such luck. Perhaps that?╟╓s director Kasha?╟╓s fault. That first meeting was phonied up, why can?╟╓t some of their other moments be? Show is advertised as one that Vdances and dances and ^dances." Fortunately. that?╟╓s its -Strong point, with a super ensemble performing Jerry Jack-^son?╟╓s choreography, which owes (Continued on Page 14, Column 3) LEGIT REVIEWS Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (Continued from Page 14, Column 3) hesiveness. It?╟╓s as if Kasha and Landay figure that everyone already knows the story and can put it together for themselves by joining the numbers. Show is for the less than discriminating crowd. There?╟╓s entertainment galore without a ?╟  L&m ??*** Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (Continued from Page 3, Column 3) a lot to Michael Kidd?╟╓s dances Ifrom the film and sometimes ?╟? emulates Agnes De Mille. It's old-fashionea dancing, but extremely well done. -Production number in the first act in which the brothers attend a town social after Boone cleans them up and teaches them some civilities, is a genuine showstop-per. Another big dance tnat serves as a gratuitous finale is T equally good, but, unfortunately comes about after the show is over and feels like it is just tacked on as an afterthought. It?╟╓s understandable that Kasha doesn?╟╓t want to lose this bit of dancing. It?╟╓s just too bad it can?╟╓t be repositioned in the show to give it more meaning. Four of the film?╟╓s songs by Gene de Paul with lyrics by Johnny Mercer remain in the show and the score is augmented by seven new tunes by A1 Kasha and Joel Hirschhom. One of the new songs, "Love Never Goes Away," is a hauntingly lovely ballad which stands a chance of becoming a standard if it?╟╓s recorded and exploited properly. Rest of the new score is serviceable, at best, with lyrics that are frightfully trite and simplistic. Perhaps the best acting of the piece comes from Craig Peralta as the youngest brother and Nancy Fox, his "bride." Theirs is the comedic, secondary romantic turn. Rest of the cast and show are a bit too consciously musical comedy. In essence, show is a sequence of events, with little co- (Continued on Page 17, Column 3) great deal of sophistication. Whether the ticketbuyer will consider he?╟╓s got his $27.50 worth is probably one of producer?╟╓s biggest worries. There?╟╓s no question that New Yorkers will want more ?╟÷ unless they're so starved for a new tuner that they?╟╓ll settle for second best. Overheard at intermission: "There?╟╓s nothing wrong with this show ?╟÷ all it needs is a star." Boone just doesn?╟╓t carry it and the feisty role of Milly needs a strong actress with a voice as strong as Boone?╟╓s. Robert Randolph?╟╓s sets are quite good save for a mechanical horse that has a couple scenes center stage; Thomas Skelton?╟╓s lighting is terrific and Robert Fletcher?╟╓s costumes ditto. Abe Jacob?╟╓s sound is frustrating ?╟÷ addition of speakers to the Pavilion auditorium does not exactly fit the theatre?╟╓s built-in acoustics. For schmaltzy romanticism, "Seven Brides" is hard to beat. But for competitive musical comedy, this version of it is no better than a long shot. Edwa. Thurs., May 6, 1982