Set in New York City and Long Island during 1920s prohibition, “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” is a screwball comedy written by Joe DePietro with songs chosen from the catalog of George and Ira Gershwin. It centers around the romantic entanglements of Jimmy Winter, a rich playboy, and Billie Bendix, a smart, independent female bootlegger. As with most farces, mistaken identities, hijinks, and plot twists abound. When I saw a charming performance of the musical at Theatre III last Saturday night, I was reminded of how much local talent and passion for the performing arts there is in Acton.
To immerse the audience in the Roaring Twenties right away, ragtime piano music tinkled in the background while people settled into their seats, and the pre-show announcements cleverly borrowed slang terms from the era to further set the mood.
I had never seen a show by Theatre III, and was surprised by the variety, quality, and detail of the props and the skill with which they were swapped out for different scenes. The costumes likewise were smart, period-appropriate choices.
Fascinating Rhythm and Dance
There is a lot of dancing in this show, but the stage at Theatre III isn’t expansive. The choreographer, Caroline Hubbard, made excellent use of the available floor space, weaving in some sophisticated dance steps and changing formations to dynamic effect, also ensuring no one got stuck in the back the whole time despite some uneven dance ability in the ensemble.
Jimmy Winter (Chris Govang) looked especially joyful when he was tap dancing during “‘S Wonderful.” Even though tap is about percussive footwork, energy flowed through his fingertips and upper body, the mark of a well-trained dancer.
“Fascinating Rhythm” was the best number in the first act, amping up the show. Everyone on stage looked filled with glee, as one tends to be when busting a move with your mates.
Vocal Range and Performance Prowess
The leads all had strong voices and none of the singing disappointed. And the orchestra delivered a bright, full sound. It’s always nice to have live music, but unfortunately at times it drowned out some of the vocals, particularly during group numbers.
Not to be overpowered by anyone, Billie Bendix (Charlotte Delaney) was a cool presence on stage, appropriate to her role as a bootlegger accustomed to flying under the radar. Delaney seemed relaxed and comfortable throughout. Her best vocal performance was in the second act when she sang “But Not for Me,” conveying authentic emotion without gushing over the top. She later showed dramatic range and good comic timing as the upset, possibly-jilted lover impersonating a maid. (Remember the hijinks mentioned earlier?)
Govang is a well-rounded performer, singing, dancing, and acting with equal measure. While the two gave strong performances on their own, they were less convincing as a couple. They came across more as colleagues than lovebirds.
Eileen Evergreen (Rositsa Mihaleva) shined her brightest during “Delishious,” embodying the self-absorption and pretentiousness of the character.
Cookie McGee (Michael Celularo) was an absolute delight and was consistently the funniest character in the show. His comedic sense is superb. His repartee with Duchess Estonia (Stephanie Mann) in “By Strauss/Sweet and Lowdown (Reprise)” and “Looking for a Boy” was masterful. The two were like forces bouncing off each other only to click into place in the end. Mann dazzled the audience with her powerful voice and brought the house down with unexpected hilarity at the end of the scene.
Other notable performances were Chief Berry (James Honaker), Chorus Girl (Emily Lambert), and Millicent Winter (Karla Goo Lang for this performance). (Millicent is played by a different actor each week.) Honaker was well cast and delivered his lines with understated humor, particularly the one to Mihaleva about translating ballet into the vernacular as a modern dancer. Lambert was fun to watch as she engaged the audience with her playful, flirtatious facial expressions. And Goo Lang was a commanding yet light-hearted presence.
Quality entertainment close to home
Theatre III is housed in a converted church, which lends it a certain amount of gravitas. Inside, the theater is black and somewhat barebones but with cushioned, comfortable seats, thankfully. The lobby, however, could stand some improvement. After the performance, Artistic Director Erika Wilde made an appeal for donations to make needed upgrades to the building, for good reason. Given the set and design talent available to them, the company will hopefully find creative ways to freshen things up and make the lobby more inviting, especially since it is the first space patrons walk into.
But that is a minor quibble. This was an amusing play, skillfully designed, directed, and performed. If you’re looking for genuine laughs — and who isn’t these days — I recommend catching a show if you can. And if you miss this one, keep Theatre III in mind when seeking quality, live entertainment close to home.
Dana Lissy is a member of the Board of Directors of the Acton Exchange, an occasional writer, and a patron of the arts. Theatre III is at 250 Central Street in Acton, MA. https://www.theatre3.org/
Editor’s Note: Theatre III’s Building Improvements Committee chair, Diane Zimmerman-Decker, offered the Acton Exchange details about the fundraising and construction. Zimmerman-Decker has served as project manager for the recent work on the 150-year-old building. She said the theatre has added a lift and accessible bathroom, improved the bathrooms in general, painted the entire outside of the building, and repaired outside woodwork. Despite several delays, Zimmerman-Decker expects the lift to be in service by the end of June. The state inspection is scheduled for June 2. Assuming it passes, Theatre III will be able to use the lift for the Child’s Play performances of “The Great Race” with shows on the weekends of June 13-14 and June 20-21.
To complete the accessibility project, the theatre will repair a demolished area of the building, construct an asphalt ramp outside the door, and reinforce the floor of the vestibule. The theatre will go before the Historic District Commission on June 2 at 7 p.m. to secure approval for the outside ramp. Backstage and lobby improvements are still on the to-do list.
The accessibility project has been supported by private donations as well as funds from the Community Preservation Committee and Mass. Cultural Council.
