ent001648-036

Wednesday, July 14,1982 mi Show On Broadway .******** Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Kaslan Productions presentation of a musical comedy in two acts, with book by Lawrence Kasha and David Landay. based on the MGM filmusical and ?╟úTheSobbin'j Women v by Stephen Vincent Benet. Music by Gene de Paul, lyrics by Johnny Mercer; additional songs by A1 Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn. Staged by Kasha. Choreography, Jerry Jackson; settings, Robert Randolph; Costumes. Robert Fletcher;! lighting, Thomas Skelton; sound, Abel Jacob; musical direction, Richard Par-rinelib; orchestrations, Irwin Kostal: i dance arrangements, Robert Webb: stage manager, Larry Dean; general manager. Marvin Krauss Assocs.; associate pro-j ducers, Martin Gould, Bernard Hodes; publicity, David Powers: Stars Debby Boone: features David-James Carroll. Opened July 8. ?╟╓82 at the Alvin Theatre,! N.Y. $35 top weeknights, $40 Saturday J nights. Adam................ David-James Carroll I Benjamifi ...... D.Seot Davidge J ?╟? Ephraim.............: Jeffrey Reynolds Caleb____._______________.. Lara Teeter | Daniel ........:.________Jeff Calhoun Frank ................... Michael Ragan j Gideon .......,...,*/?√ß...Craig Peralta MrfBixby ................ ... Fred Curt Mrs. Bixby...............Jeanne Bates Preacher ........... t...... .Jack Ritschel Mr. Perkins ........N...... Gino Gaudio Lumbermen .......... James Horvath, J Russell Giesenschlag, Don Steffy. | Gary Moss, Clark Sterling, j ' Kevin McCready I Indian ............. .Conley Schnaterbeck Milly ...,,....... ......Debby Boone I Ruth . , .V. Sha Newman 1 Martha .......... . .Laurel van der Linde Sarah .................Linda Hoxit Liza .................... Jan Mussetter Alice........................ Nancy Fox Dorcas ........._______Manette LaChance Jeb...............Russell Giesenschlag j Zeke................. Kevin McCready Carl .......................Don Steffy Matt........................Gary Moss Luke ?╟÷..................James Horvath ! Joel................... Clark Sterling j Dorcas* Sister....... Marylou Hume Mrs. Perkins .....Marykatherine Somers 1 Townsboy..........................David Pavlovsky Songs: ?╟úBless Your Beautiful Hide,** ?╟úWonderful. Wonderful Day.?╟╓* ?╟úOne Man.?╟Ñ "Goin?╟╓ Courtin'.?╟ú ?╟úSocial Dance.'' ?╟úLove Never Goes Away." ?╟úSobbin?╟╓ Women.'' ?╟úThe Townsfolk's Lament.'' ?╟úA Woman Ought to Know Her Place." ?╟úWe Gotta Make It Through the Winter.?╟ú ?╟úSpring Dance," ?╟úGlad That You Were Born." ?╟úWedding Dance.| ?╟úSeven Brides for Seven Brothers,?╟Ñ the 1954 MGM filmusical, has been turned into a heavy and unsatisfying stage show that isn?╟╓t good enough for Broadway : longevity, the Stephen Vincent Benet-derived yarn of lusty mountaineers and the townswomen they abduct has a lively score and some vigorous dancing, but the characters and story are artificial and trite. The production is of summer i stock calibre. Debby Boone, the pop singer and tv performer, has a pleasant" but small voice which needs the heavy amplification it gets. She doesn't project much personality and seems too inexperienced for a leading role in a Broadway show. She?╟╓s too tentative an actress and doesn?╟╓t convince as a strong-willed spitfire. Moreover, her tv popularity is not likely to cross over into Broadway boxoffice magnetism. Under coproducer and co-author Lawrence Kasha?╟╓s exaggeratedly emphatic staging, ?╟úSeven Brides" is a mechanically boisterous affair in which little of the fun is infectious. Except for David-James Car-roll as the eldest brother and romantic lead, none of the other characters have much individuality. The six yokel brothers are heavily hokum-ized and are pretty tedious company when they?╟╓re not dancing. Their femme counterparts are more restrained, if no more experienced. Carroll, in the role played on the screen by Howard Keel, has a good legit voice, but not the swaggering macho authority j which the part calls for. 'He unaccountably looks younger than several of his sup- posedly younger brothers. His scenes with Boone strike no sparks. These two leads would be more suitable for a revival of ?╟úSeven?╟÷ teen?╟Ñ than ?╟úSeven Brides.?╟úv: Jerry Jackson?╟╓s choreography is the snow?╟╓s best card, notably in two extended ensemble dance pieces, ?╟úSocial Dance?╟Ñ and ?╟úWedding Dance.?╟Ñ They plow nenew choreo-| graphic terrain but the movement | is" contagiously energetic and ex?╟÷ j cites the audience. Apparently" 1 dancing Tather than acting ability was the "chief casting criterion. ?╟≤ ~ | Some of the original Gene fie Paul-Johnny Mercer songs have been dropped and replaced with j new tunes by A1 Kasha and Joel ! Hirschhorn which catch the right i period backwoods flavor but are short on musical and lyrical originality. The best numbers are ?╟úBless Your Beautiful Hide,?╟Ñ ?╟úWonderful, I Wonderful Day?╟Ñ and ?╟úSobbin | Women?╟Ñ by de Paul and Mercer in a Rodgers and Hammerstein vein. | All are bunched in the first act. Show has a decidedly old hat look, ! with painted scenic drops and wobbly flats. Some scenes are played ?╟úin one?╟Ñ in front of a traveler, to i cover scene shifts. Robert Ran-i dolph?╟╓s gaudy designs are from an earlier legit era.