Where's Charley?

Where's Charley? could easily have been a very dull show. The music, while rousing, is not memorable, and although some of the lines are catchy, only careful control of facial expression, action and pacing will make them produce laughter. But the Winthrop House production of this musical is a wonderful show, filled with life, wit, and fun. Director Lewis Kaden, with the help of several fine actors, has exploited every opportunity for humor and warmth.

As with most musicals, the story is a little silly and it would be pointless to recount its intricacies here. The basic problem is the late arrival of Charley's aunt (Johanna Madden) for a senior week-end at Oxford. She is supposed to chaperon Charley (Chuck Breyer), his roommate (Dean Stolber) and their dates. When she doesn't arrive, Charley masquerades as his aunt, leaving everyone to wonder where's Charley.

Mr. Breyer displays superb comic skill in his switches from Charley to aunt and back to Charley. Boy, is he ever funny. Even his face is funny. He doesn't have to say anything to get a laugh. But he also possesses a great sense of timing and gift for mimicry, and in addition, he can almost sing. When he announced his affection for his girl Amy (Debbie Trowbridge) in the famous "Once in Love With Amy" the audience couldn't applaud enough.

Breyer almost steals the show. But he doesn't, and one of the main reasons is the equally delightful Nick Bunnin, who plays Amy's bachelor uncle. Bunnin is a perfect dirty old man, complete with leers, roving hands, and a lecherous, evil chuckle.

Not quite as excellent as these two consummate comics. Debbie Trowbridge is a very appealing Amy. Possibly a bit nervous on opening night, the Newton High School junior had a little trouble carrying her songs, though her dancing was the best in the show. Like Breyer, she used her face and body effectively and was adorable as a fresh innocent young girl ecstatic in her first romance.

The other young couple in this play, Dean Stolber (as Charley's roommate) and Betsy Wilson are not nearly as exciting as Breyer and Trowbridge, but then their parts are not as colorful either. While Stolber tried very hard to contribute verve, his perpetual motion occasionally jarred and his love scenes dragged.

One usually doesn't expect to hear great singing in musicals, and the voices in this one, with one exception, were not great. The exception, Johanna Madden, was particularly arresting. It's a pity "Lovelier Than Ever" was her only song.

I feel a little guilty spending so much time on the leads, delightful as they were, because the minor parts were just as good. James Corcoran, Carter Wilson, and Max Byrd were especially humorous and helpful in keeping the show moving.

Peg Birch's choreography was clever and made amazingly good use of the cramped stage. Easily maneuvering as many as 20 persons in graceful patterns, Miss Birch also seemed to be poking fun at musical dance numbers with some ludicrous scenes, usually involving the irrepressible Breyer.

Oh yes, there's a lot of sex in this show. In the sensuous "Pernambuco" scene, where the chorus girls are appropriately presented in scanty (but tasteful) dress, Eileen Henikoff leaves the audience breathless with an extremely erotic dance.

Anita Mongiovi's costumes and Scott McCausland's sets are colorful and effective. However, not every play can be perfect, and this one has its flaws. Dancing sometimes occurs without any apparent reason, and musical director David Nelson's orchestra, though energetic, often filled the room with rather weird harmonies. The pacing, while excellent in the second act, is a bit slow in the first, and the show doesn't really begin to roll until after the intermission break.

And now and then I was made a bit uncomfortable by the fixed smiles on the dancers' faces. But most of the time people were smiling on stage because they seemed really to enjoy what they were doing. The audience last night certainly did, and so did I.