THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 22, 1994 TAG: 9406220443
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940622 LENGTH: Medium
``Dames at Sea'' spoofs those delightful `30s movie musicals and their peeks at backstage life.
{REST} The stars, the songs, the laughs, the production numbers and such cliches as ``you and me - we're the only thing that makes sense'' make a wonderful package.
The Encore Theatre production at the G.R. Little Theater, Elizabeth City State University, offers the standard characters.
Mona Kent is the bitchy star, although a heart of mush eventually emerges. Joan and Ruby are the ingenues, Dick is the sailor boy-lover boy, Lucky is his happy-go-as-the-name-implies sidekick. Hennessey is the hard-nosed theater manager and the nameless captain is the hard-nosed head honcho of the nameless battleship.
Everybody takes turns breaking out in song every few moments, all ably aided by pianist, Ben Blanchard. Most of the songs work, but some are somewhat mundane.
Ah - but talent to the rescue. The performers, like steak sauce, are A-1. Check the ``Who's Who'' in the program and you'll see why. Most of these people have a great deal of impressive professional experience.
Director Janet Gregory runs a tight ship - literally and figuratively - as she puts her performers aboard a battleship after they do battle with a Broadway theater that is about to close, and a play that is about to go down the torpedo tubes.
One reason for the hard times is the temperamental star, Mona, portrayed by Lara Z. Wells - looking like sort of a latter day tempestuous Liz Taylor, acting like a `30s Bette Davis. Her timing and actions are right on the mark.
Two more excellent performances are offered by Laura Tanton as Joan and Theresa Molthen as Ruby - huggable Depression-era cutie pies.
Ron Russell and E. Scott Wells are the very convincing swabbies.
The former is the aforementioned sidekick, the latter the aforementioned sailor-lover - talented but naive.
Wells is a scene stealer, sort-of a 1994 Donald O'Connor. He sings well, dances well and grins toothily well.
Most of the cast are newcomers to the local stage. The only veteran, Jeff Meads, portrays the stage manager in Act 1, the captain in Act 2. His leading man look fits the characters he plays, beautifully.
His best scene - the play's most joyous - is ``The Beguine'' with Lara Wells, a song that suddenly makes the city of Pensacola sound funny. It's like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire mixing with The Three Stooges.
Other showstoppers are ``It's You'' with Molthen and Scott Wells; Tanton and Russell's ``Choo-Choo Honeymoon,'' Mona's very funny torch song, ``That Mister Man of Mine'' and ``Singapore Sue,'' a `borrow' from ``Thoroughly Modern Millie.''
Another showstopper features Tanton leading the company in ``Good Times Are Here to Stay.''
They are for a couple hours - thanks to the Encore Theatre Company's production, ``Dames at Sea.'' by CNB