STAGE REVIEW:  Good times roll for ol' 'Show Boat'
By Terry Byrne, Globe Correspondent
Boston Globe
October 2, 2008

Gamblers, show people, working folks, and young lovers all tumble out of Edna Ferber's epic "Show Boat," transformed into the glorious 1927 Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II musical now playing at the North Shore Music Theatre. Filled with a lush score that includes "Ol' Man River" and "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," "Show Boat" plays like the best of Cap'n Andy's enchanting melodramas on his own showboat, the Cotton Blossom.

As part of a season celebrating the work of Tony award-winner Susan Stroman, North Shore is reviving Harold Prince's 1994 version of this gem, for which Stroman created the choreography. But Prince's vision was vast, with a huge cast that spilled all over the stage. Restaging that grand vision within the confines of North Shore's playing area isn't always a good fit, and scenes occasionally look too crowded and cramped.

Fortunately, the cast includes a terrific group of principals, and director Glenn Casale makes sure nothing gets in the way of their songs.

Among the standouts is Ron Bohmer as the gambler Gaylord Ravenal, whose glorious tenor in "Where's the Mate for Me?" and "Make Believe" creates a stunning contrast with Phillip Boykin's impossibly rich bass in "Ol' Man River." Kern's score demands operatic skill from the singers, which can be off-putting if it isn't grounded in strong acting chops. But Bohmer, as the charming rake, and Boykin, as the stalwart representative of all African-Americans stuck doing the dirty work, give the characters much-needed depth.

Terry Burrell, as Julie, creates a wonderful arc for her character, the showboat star who loses everything after her mixed race is revealed. Years later, when we discover Julie in a Chicago nightclub, Burrell's delivery of "Bill" is wrenching in its simplicity. At one moment she turns and sees the look on the club manager's face and pulls herself together with a strength that is breathtaking.

Teri Dale Hansen makes a perfectly innocent young Magnolia, the daughter of the riverboat captain who falls for Ravenal, and their duet "You Are Love" never gets bogged down in saccharine sentiment. Sharon Wilkins is a feisty Queenie and Gordon Stanley's Cap'n Andy adds levity and common sense.

Besides her clever combinations in production numbers, Stroman's biggest contribution to the 1994 revival was two dance montages in the second act, which show the passage of time through dance styles - and Florence Klotz's vivid costumes. Although North Shore's dancers do a great job with the steps, without the space to spread out and allow other images to feed into the theme, the sequences feel a little lost.

Choreographer Ron Gibbs does manage to pull off a high-energy ending with "Kim's Charleston," which adds a positive note to a musical that leaves us feeling more wistful than hopeful.

REVIEW: Spectacular voices keep lengthy 'Show Boat' afloat at North Shore
By Sally Applegate

North Shore Sunday

Posted Sep 28, 2008 @ 09:28 AM

Be prepared for a really long first act when you head over to North Shore Music Theatre’s sumptuous production of the American classic musical “Show Boat.” There’s a lot of plot to cover in this epic musical.

First presented in 1927, “Show Boat” spans 40 years in the lives of numerous characters involved in touring the Mississippi River on a show boat. North Shore’s ambitious production recreates Harold Prince’s Tony-Award winning 1995 “Show Boat,” as well as the Susan Stroman choreography from that revival.

Members of the large and talented cast give the North Shore show everything they’ve got, keeping the audience engaged throughout the evening. The large collection of great Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II hit songs and a complex plot are woven together by reprises of the show’s most famous song, “Ol’ Man River,” the melody of which even shows up as subtle background for one scene, plunked out one note at a time on a banjo, and also reappears in an upbeat version at the end of the show.

This frequent use of “Ol’ Man River” is good news for the audience, because it means they get to hear plenty from the remarkable Phillip Boykin as Joe. Boykin, who played Joe in the national tour of “Show Boat,” receives a screaming, whistling, thunderous ovation from the NSMT opening night audience after his great performance of “Ol’ Man River,” and a roaring standing ovation at the curtain call after the show.

By Boykin’s side as Joe’s wife Queenie is Sharon Wilkins, another amazing singer and one terrific dancer as well. When Wilkins’ powerful voice takes over the second verse of “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man,” her dancing rhythms are irresistible, her voice unforgettable.

Another great voice in the cast belongs to Ron Bohmer, whose soaring tenor was on display when he played Dracula at NSMT. His voice is perfect for the great songs he performs as riverboat gambler Gaylord Ravenal. As he begins singing the memorable melody line to “Who Cares if my Boat Goes Upstream?” it is clear this is one fine singer. He moves on to the classic hits “Only Make Believe,” “You are Love,” and “Why Do I Love You?”

As romantic ingénue Magnolia, Teri Dale Hansen’s singing style does not seem quite the right fit for her songs, although she played the role in London’s West End version of the Harold Prince production. Her vocal duets with Bohmer work nicely however, particularly on “You are Love.” She is also funny and charming as an awkward ingénue, dances well, and displays a touching dignity in her later scenes.

As tragic heroine Julie, Terry Burrell reprises the role from her performances in Harold Prince’s “Showboat” and the London performances of Prince’s production. Burrell is an excellent soprano with original phrasing and clarity on “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man,” and is touching and convincing in the classic hit “Bill” with its unexpected touch of anger at the end.

Jim Walton dances spectacularly as Frank, ably joined by the nimble and comedic Melinda Cowan as Ellie. They expertly perform Susan Stroman’s great choreography, which has been recreated by Ron Gibbs.

Gordon Stanley is delightful as Capn’ Andy, with a hilariously frenetic moment where he acts out an entire scene by himself to cover something that has gone wrong with the show.

Playing his domineering wife Parthy Ann is Audrie Neenan with a voice and manner similar to the character of Aunt Eller in “Oklahoma!” Stanley and Neenan mine a lot of comic gold together.

As Kim, the grown up daughter of Magnolia and Gaylord, Erica Sweany is brilliant performing a strikingly original Charleston in the second act with male dancers at her side.
As Steve, the husband who deserts Julie after they lose their jobs on the Show Boat, Edwin Cahill gives a pleasantly natural performance.

The young children in the Youth Ensemble add variety to the cast. Kara Doherty of Beverly is a screen and TV commercial veteran at age 11, and makes a poignant young Kim. Andre Sasso, also 11, of North Andover has local theater and dance experience and does some spectacular high stepping with members of the adult ensemble.

Director Glenn Casale keeps things hopping along with enough energy and contrast to sustain interest in what is a very long show by today’s standards. Could it have been trimmed a bit? Sure, but do you mess with a great American classic? Do you mess with Harold Prince?

If you’re coming to this spectacular show, prepare for a long evening. Prepare also to be dazzled by brilliant performances, wonderfully inventive costuming and choreography, and one of the better musical scores written for the Broadway stage. This is a rare opportunity to see a seldom-performed American classic. Be aware there are disturbing elements of historically accurate racism in the script.

Interested?

“Show Boat continues through Oct. 12 with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Matinees are at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Ticket prices are $40 to $77 with Senior and Youth discounts and Rush Tickets available. You can find special ticket packages online at www.nsmt.org, including “Date Night,” “Girl’s Night Out,” and a new “Dinner Theatre Package.” Tickets can be ordered online at www.nsmt.org, by calling the box office at 978-232-7200, or in person at North Shore Music Theatre, 62 Dunham Road in Beverly.

“Meet the Theatre,” a free post-show audience discussion with the artists will take place on Sept. 30 after the 7:30 p.m. performance. On Oct.11 after the 2 p.m. matinee. “Spotlight on History” is a free pre-show discussion co-presented by the Wenham Museum and focusing on historical issues related to the performance. “Out at the North Shore,” an evening for the Gay and Lesbian Community with a post-show reception is on Oct. 9.

Show Boat
by Howie Green
EDGE Boston
Saturday, Sep 27, 2008

The North Shore Music Theatre’s current production of the 1992 Hal Prince version of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s Show Boat has a spectacular first act with stellar singing, staging and dancing. The Theatre’s small round stage is ingeniously outfitted with a large stylized showboat creating enough of an illusion to make you believe it might just actually be a large paddle steamer anchored along a Mississippi levee. The costumes in this production are as over-the-top as the story. The whole production will leave you breathless by intermission time.

The world-class singing of the large cast is second to none without a weak voice on stage. I’ve been to many shows at this theatre and I have never heard such a strong cast here, or for that matter, anywhere. The variety of voices and singing styles is simply stunning and the quality of the talent assembled for this show is nothing short of spectacular.

Ron Bohmer as Gaylord Ravenal, the ne’er-do-well river gambler who marries the captain’s daughter, has a beautiful voice similar to Mandy Patinkin’s (without the self-indulgence). Teri Dale Hansen is Cap’n. Andy’s overprotected daughter Magnolia. She has one of those glorious big Kathryn Grayson or Marni Nixon soprano voices that used to be common in Hollywood movies but are rarely heard (or needed) anymore. Terry Burrell, in the role of the mulatto Julie, gets a nice showcase for her unique voice in "Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man," while Sharon Wilkins’ powerful pipes fill in every nook and cranny of available space in the house.

Then there is Phillip Boykin. Boykin has the show’s most memorable voice and his rich basso profundo in "Ol’ Man River" will have the hair on the back of your neck standing on end. Jim Walton as the song-and-dance man Frank gets plenty of opportunity to strut his considerable stuff and his partner Melinda Cowan has lots of room to spread out and showcase her comedic and musical gifts. Gordon Stanley and Audrie Neenan as Cap’n. Andy and his wife are hilarious and Stanley’s riotous moment in the first act when he single handedly re-enacts the remainder of a stage play is a real showstopper.

The problems with "Showboat" emerge in the second act. They have nothing to do with the North Shore Music Theatre’s production but rather with the play itself. The first act takes place in a compact time frame and primarily on the levee lying in front of the riverboat. The staging and story line are easy to follow and make sense. Also, even with the pathos, racially charged love stories and drama, the first act is about putting on a show and giving the audience one hell of a good time in the process.

By the second act the riverboat family of performers has split up and gone their separate ways. The music and story get serious and there really is nothing uplifting until the finale when, thirty years later, they characters reunite. The two acts are so very different in tone and presentation that perhaps it is best to think of "Showboat" as two separate pieces. The play spans nearly the nearly half century between the 1880s and 1920s, an era which saw massive changes in America as it was transformed from a post-Civil War rural economy into a industrial giant. Given society’s upheaval during that period, one expects that the simple lives of riverboat entertainers would change dramatically along with it. However, the kaleidoscope of set changes and locale shifts encompassed within the second act had me reeling and regularly consulting my program to see where we were in time and space.

All in all director Glenn Casale, choreographer Ron Gibbs and musical director Brian Cimmet have done a magnificent job of staging this glorious musical from the Golden Age of Broadway with its message of love and brotherhood that rings true today.

Cry Me a River
By Carolyn Clay
Boston Phoenix
October 1, 2008

Show Boat has churned its way through three films, but how often do you get a chance to see the first truly significant American musical on stage? One presents itself at North Shore Music Theatre (through October 12), where the 1927 show based on Edna Ferber’s 1926 novel and immersed in Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II’s magnificent score is enjoying a frisky, full-throated revival directed by Glenn Casale with a nod to the Tony-winning 1994 revival helmed by Harold Prince and several of the show’s strong singers reprising their roles from that production’s national tour.

Show Boat’s 30-year tale of life aboard and beyond Cap’n Andy’s nautical vaudeville palace, the Cotton Blossom, has a beautifully integrated first act and a rather ragged epic second, in which we reap the long-term results of romance and racial discrimination along the Mississippi River in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But ah, that familiar and fulfilling score! Highlights include “Only Make Believe,” “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man,” Mis’ry’s Comin’ Aroun’,” “You Are Love,” “Bill,” and, of course, “Ol’ Man River.” When Phillip Boykin opens his mouth to apply his commanding bass to Kern’s encomium to the timeless, mighty Mississippi, the experience is pure emotional pleasure. And it just keeps rolling along.

Actors make river drama come alive on ‘Show Boat’
by David Liscio
The Daily Item (Lynn)
October 2, 2008

Just listening to Phillip Boykin sing “Ol Man River” in his role as Joe aboard the ongoing production of “Show Boat” is worth the trip to North Shore Music Theatre.

Several aficionados who have seen this musical performed by other production companies say this one is tops, despite its traditional trappings.  It would be difficult to disagree. Gordon Stanley was a stand out as Cap’n Andy, as was Audrie Neenan as Parthy Ann, the riverboat captain’s cantankerous wife. On opening night, the audience was clearly swooned by Ron Bohmer’s portayal of river gambler Gaylord Ravenal, the production’s heartthrob.

The action aboard the Cotton Blossom keeps up a steady pace throughout the performance, offering theatergoers both drama and comdey, all of it sprinkled with racial tension. Sharon Wilkins’ role as Queenie is commendable, highlighted by her rendition of Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man”, and Teri Dale Hansen’s adaptation of Magnolia coupled with her operatic voice rounds out the show.

Based on the best-selling 1926 novel by Edna Ferber about life on the Mississippi River, the show times are Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm.  Matinees are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. For tickets: visit the Web site www.nsmt.org, call (978) 232-7200 or buy them in person at the theater box office, 62 Dunham Road. The show runs through October 12.

Showboat"
 Reviewed by Tony Annicone
Theater Mirror
September 26, 2008

North Shore Musical Theatre's current show is the 1994 Harold Prince version of "Showboat" which combined the talents of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein. The original version opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on December 27,1927 and ran for 572 performances. Kern and Hammerstein felt that Broadway musical theatre was suffering from a lack of depth and wanted to steer away from the fluffy musical comedies and melodramatic operettas it was accustomed to. They chose Edna Ferber's sprawling novel on life on the Mississippi which dealt with unhappy marriages, miscegenation and racial prejudice. The story begins in 1887 and spans 50 years, dealing with the fortunes of an impressionable young woman named Magnolia Hawks, her father who owns a showboat named Cotton Blossom and a troubled riverboat gambler/actor named Gaylord Ravenal. Magnolia and Gaylord fall in love while acting on the showboat, eventually marry and move to Chicago. There are several subplots in the show including the repression of and nobility of the black characters and their exclusion from the turn of the century social and racial prejudice against Magnolia's mulatto friend, the tragic Julie La Verne. Director Glenn Casale casts topnotch performers who can sing, act and dance splendidly while musical director Brian Cimmet conducts a 12 piece orchestra, having taught this huge cast the multitude of songs with their intricate harmonies which soar up to the rafters. North Shore always does an excellent job on huge epic musicals and this show is another feather in their cap with the comic and poignant elements handled perfectly, giving the audience a chance to laugh as well as move them to tears. It demonstrates what a well performed musical should be. Since there is so much tragedy in the show, Harold Prince kept the happy ending of Magnolia and Ravenal reuniting at the close of the show intact which brings more tears to the crowd's eyes amidst the happiness of the moment. Bravo!

Glenn blocks this enormous cast beautifully in the theatre in the round, creating many picture post card moments throughout the show. The entire first act takes place on, at or near the gigantic two story showboat constructed by Evan Bartoletti. (The showboat is also used by the character of Joe to comment on no matter what is happening in the country, the Mississippi just keeps on rolling along as he belts out "Old Man River".) The second act takes place in and around Chicago so easily moved set pieces are utilized. Brian does a fantastic job making his orchestra and cast members sound like a Broadway show. His keen eye for harmonic balance in the singing of the musical numbers and the high quality of his musicians shine through. Choreographer Ron Gibbs recreates the Tony Award-winning choreography of Susan Stroman including the cake walk, polka, charleston, jitterbug and many others which the cast executes perfectly. The costumes are gorgeous and are designed by Florence Klotz especially impressive is Magnolia's red brocade gown for the "After the Ball" segment. The massive number of costumes which range from the 1880's to the flapper costumes of the 1920's are impressive, too. Bravo to everyone who makes this show a musical masterpiece of Americana.

The gorgeous blonde haired Teri Dale Hansen captures the innocence of Magnolia at the start of the show and makes the transition to the older more mature woman by the end of it. Her majestic soprano voice soars off the charts in her duets including my personal favorite, "Only Make Believe", where she and Gay pretend they are in love, "I Have the Room Above Her" where they actually fall in love, "You Are Love" where they decide to get married and "Can't Help Loving That Man" reprise, where as a more mature woman she changes the slow rhythm to a flapper style of the 1920"s. Teri plays well with the other performers in the show especially the warmth Magnolia feels towards Julie and her antipathy to her hard shelled mother, Parthy who comes around by the end of the show with the love of her granddaughter. Magnolia's comic side comes out the in melodrama scene where she is wooed by her beau then threatened by the villain who gets shot at by two crazy hillbillies. Teri has wonderful chemistry with her leading man, Ron Bohmer. He has a magnificent tenor voice with a strong upper register to it. He makes a dashing, handsome rogue who captures the heart of this young woman by wooing her with "Make Believe" and in their relationship with the soaring "You Are Love". He also sings the gambling song with the men called "Till Good Luck Comes My Way" but he moves the audience to tears in the reprise of "Make Believe" when he realizes he must leave his daughter, Kim played wonderfully by Kara Doherty. Ron and Teri move the crowd again at the close of the show when Gaylord and Magnolia finally reunite after their long separation. The grown up Kim is played by Erica Sweany who doesn't appear until the last scene of Act 2 but gets to strut her stuff in a huge dancing number called "Kim's Charleston".

The show stopping song, "Old Man River" is performed by Philip Boykin whom I reviewed as Caiaphas in NSMT's "Jesus Christ Superstar" and once again I say that he has one of the most amazing basso profundo voices I have ever heard. His magnificent bass voice send chills up your spine with its power and the applause it so richly deserves stops the show in its tracks. (The other men join in on the reprise of the song with five part harmony that is splendid, too.) He and Sharon Wilkins as Queenie, Joe's wife also capture the dignity and dedication to the showboat of these characters. Sharon uses her powerful voice in several numbers including "Queenie's Ballyhoo" which becomes another energetic dance segment where Queenie tries to entice the black folks to buy tickets in the balcony for the show. Another chilling and powerful number cut from the original show and from the movie versions is "Misery's Comin' Around" which starts out as a solo by Sharon and escalates into a haunting gospel melody foretelling trouble coming to the riverboat. it salutes the dignity and the pure talent of the black workers from 1887. Terry Burrell is fantastic as the tragic Julie. She gets a chance to show off her acting chops in this role as well as her lovely voice which I had the pleasure of hearing when she played the Queen in "Cinderella" in 2005 & 2006 as well as when she played Muzzy in 2005 in "Thoroughly Modern Millie". Terry delivers the goods with the soulful "Can't Help Lovin' That Man" and the torch song, "Bill" which brings the house down. Julie is betrayed by Pete, an evil cad who tells the sheriff, Julie is a mulatto married to a white man which was a crime in Mississippi. Edwin Cahill who I first met when he appeared in "Edwin Drood" in Ivoryton in 2004, plays Steve Baker, Julie's husband who heroically stands by her and leaves town by defending her against the charge of miscegenation. (Edwin has an excellent tenor voice which he unfortunately doesn't get to show off in this show.)

The massive role of Captain Andy is played by Gordon Stanley. He makes this curmudgeon come to life with his strong acting abilities. Gordon handles the comic moments throughout most of the show but finally has a tender scene with Magnolia in the "After the Ball" scene. His shrewish wife, Parthy Ann is played by the scene stealing, Audrie Neenan who excels in this role of the harridan who never stops complaining until 1927 when she finally lets her hair down when she dances the Charleston with Kim who is now a Broadway star like Magnolia before her. (Parthy has a brief respite as harridan at the start of Act 2 when Kim is born and she sings "Why Do I Love You" to the baby which is a very sentimental thing for the hard shelled Parthy to do.) The other two comic performers are Jim Walton and Melinda Cowan as Frank and Ellie Schultz. They do topnotch work in their roles, playing the dance team who always squabble with each other but end up married. Melinda sings "Life Upon the Wicked Stage" with the girls and she and Jim sing "Goodbye My Lady Love", a song and dance number. (The scene stealing Jet Thomason is hilarious as the drunk who wants to woo Ellie during the number, leading to much laughter. He also plays Pete, the evil cad who turns Julie in to the sheriff in Act 1.) Kudos to the sensational and exuberant dancing and singing chorus members, too. So for an excellent rendition of a classic musical, be sure to catch "Showboat" before it sails away. Tell them Tony sent you.

‘Old Man River’ keeps Show Boat afloat
By Dan MacAlpine
Beverly Citizen
Friday, September 26, 2008

Face it. If a Show Boat production doesn’t hit Old Man River, the production sinks. Fortunately, the North Shore Music Theatre’s version of the American classic captures all the nuance of one the most well known and emotionally complex pieces in the American songbook. Start with Phillip Boykin’s voice. Deep. Rich. Expressive and supple. He’s not just a freight-train rumble. He takes the show’s most famous song and, as Joe, makes it and the character the centerpiece.

Despite some fine performances, most notably by Terry Burrell, whose Julie can’t shake the scar of racism and what it does to her marriage, and by Sharon Williams as Queenie, who brings another one of Show Boat’s contributions to the songbook canon, “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man,” to full life, it’s Boykin’s Joe that keeps this show afloat. And, clocking in at almost three hours, there are times when, like the river, this show just keeps rollin’ on and on and on. But Boykin’s Old Man River, supported by some brilliant backing by the ensemble, makes it all more than worthwhile. The song literally raised the hair on the back of my neck. As a light motif in the in the second act, it left a full body ache in its wake.

It’s hard to put aside echoes of Paul Robeson whenever anyone sings Old Man River. Not that Boykins is Robeson. Who is? But he does put those memories aside when he sings. And that’s about as well as anyone can do with such a classic piece of music. The song registers multiple layers of emotion. Defiance. Resignation. Hope. Despair. Barely capped rage and expansive love as a salve for life’s inescapable pain and our misdeeds. The song captures it all and so does Boykins. Boykins begins on the darker side and gradually works first to resignation. His solo shifts to a backing by the ensemble that lifts the song with a gospel infusion. The song reprises at key points in the second act. At one point the theme blends with Catholic prayer chants, reinforcing the song’s spirituality.

As the show progresses and becomes increasingly painful for its characters, Joe’s appearances from the deck of the showboat, “Cotton Blossom,” become part comment from afar, functioning almost like a Greek chorus, and part moments of absolution for the show’s struggling characters. Boykins sings, and acts, all these conflicting and multiple layers, without ever choosing sides. He never tells the audience: “This is what this song is.” In the words of another great song, he just lets it be.

It’s a tribute to the enduring quality of jazz and blues that the show’s songs that draw from these traditions still seem fresh and relevant, where as much of the show’s mainstream, or what would have been mainstream music when it came out in the 1920s, simply doesn’t hold up as well. The music simply lacks the richness, depth and spring jazz and blues inflections bring. And that’s more a tribute to the music than a condemnation of the performance.

SHOW BOAT

Review by Norm Gross

PMP Network

October 6, 2008

Now at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA is their new production of "Show Boat", featuring music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.  This great American classic first opened on Broadway in 1927 to a tumultuous and ecstatic response.  Based on Edna Ferber's same titled novel, it's classic format joining songs and choreography together to advance the show's compelling story, revolutionized the Broadway Musical. It was not by chance then that this same Oscar Hammerstein was to later, in 1943 connect with Richard Rodgers and create "Oklahoma" and all of their subsequent musical masterpieces.   Show Boat's provocative plot centers on the lives and romantic involvements aboard "The Cotton Blossom", a Mississippi Showboat, beginning in the late 19th century and continuing on
culminating in the mid 1920's.  When Magnolia, the sweet, young daughter of "Cap'n Andy", the ship's impresario and his wife Parthy, falls in love with Gaylord Ravenal, a dashing and handsome but totally irresponsible gambler, the plot is set for their stormy marriage.  After leaving the Showboat to live in Chicago and the birth of their lovely daughter Kim, Gaylord abandons his family because of his uncontrollable gambling.  Forced to fend for themselves, Magnolia's dormant talent is revealed as she begins to evolve into prominence as a great vocalist.  As the year's pass and young Kim matures, her show business acumen also propels her to similar stardom!  The play's final moments focus on the down-and-out Ravenal's ultimate reunion with Magnolia and Kim.  Along with this major story line a significant sub-plot concerning the travails of Julie LaVerne, the Showboat's former leading lady (a mix of black and white ancestry) is also established.  The racist laws in the late 19th century making her marriage to her white husband actor Steve Baker illegal, add still another heart-rending aspect to this legendary musical.  As said, Kern and Hammerstein's magnificent score enhances the story throughout.  Magnolia and Gaylord's majestic duets "Only Make Believe", "You Are Love", and "Why Do I Love You?" amongst others, are genuinely sublime and sonorous.  Teri Dale Hansen as Magnolia and Ron Bohmer as Gaylord really do sing them very well. Beautiful and grandly resonant Terry Burrell as the tragic Julie LaVerne, brings verve and poignancy to her spirited renditions of "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" and "(He's Just My) Bill".  Of course, the evening's high point occurs early on with Phillip Boykin's superb portrayal of "Joe", the world-weary African American dock worker.  His singing "Old Man River" is genuinely stirring!  Much praise is also due for Sharon Wilkins as "Queenie", the Showboat's lively black "house maid" singing "Queenie's Bally Hoo" as well as Melinda Cowan and Jim Walton as two Showboat hoofers, with her initially singing "Life Upon The Wicked Stage" and then later both giving their all to "Goodbye My Lady Love". Kudos also for Glen Casale's assured direction (in-the-round), Ron Gibbs vivid choreography (especially the lively Charleston-like segments, near the show's finale) the splendid period costumes by Forence Klotz, and the vibrant orchestral accompaniment conducted by Brian Cimmet. This first rate presentation is now playing through October 12, 2008.

(MY GRADE: 5)

Circling the Square
by Myrna Fearer
Danvers Herald
October 2, 2008

Thursday night, after our brief museum stop, Karen Kane and I went to the North Shore Music Theatre to see “Show Boat.” As many times as I’ve seen it through the years, I can still see it again. Each performance brings something new, some little nuance or interpretation I didn’t remember from the time before. It truly is a classic and so are the songs of Jerome Kern: “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man,” “Why Do I Love You?” “Good-bye My Lady Love,” “After the Ball,” and, of course, “Ol’ Man River.” Sung by Joe (Phillip Boykin), it’s sure to raise goose bumps when you hear it. Each part is well cast and actors really become the characters. Cap’n Andy (Gordon Stanley) is the archetypical riverboat captain and is the perfect foil to the barbs of his wife, Party Ann (played by Audrie Neenan). Melinda Cowan is a charming Ellie; Teri Dale Hansen is an effective Magnolia, and Ron Bohmer has the right mix of charm and rogue to play the unlucky Gaylord Ravenal. So, even if you’ve seen it before, or if you’ve never seen it, get over to the North Shore Music Theatre, climb aboard the Cotton Blossom and sail away into an evening of humor, pathos and music as “Ol’ Man River” just keeps rollin’ along through Oct. 12.