`No, No, Nanette' giddily celebrates 1920s musical theater

NEW YORK — "No, No, Nanette" is one of those Broadway musicals that is the perfect combination of tap and tune — catchy songs and dance numbers guaranteed to get an audience giddy.

It did in 1925, then again in 1971 and now, 37 years later, that fizzy feeling is back, courtesy of City Center's "Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert."

(enlarge photo) In this photo released by Helene Davis Public Relations shows Mara Davis and cast members in the ``Encores!'' production of ``No, No, Nanette,'' playing at New York's City Center through Monday May 12. (AP Photo/Joan Marcus, Helene Davis Public Relations)

If any show epitomizes the exuberant, frivolous gaiety of 1920s musical theater, it is this concoction, which features a hypnotic, hummable score — music by Vincent Youmans and lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach.

The production, which runs through Monday, has had a convoluted parentage. It is an adaptation of an adaptation. The book for the original "No, No, Nanette" (by Harbach and Frank Mandel) was reworked for the '70s revival by Burt Shevelove. That show, streamlined even more by David Ives, is what has found its way to City Center.

Casting is crucial for "Nanette," the intertwined tales of a young woman's modest rebellion against propriety as well as the extramarital (yet totally chaste) shenanigans of her uncle, a wealthy Bible salesman.

In 1971, the key element was Ruby Keeler, Hollywood's favorite shy, sweet-tempered hoofer, returning to Broadway for the first time in more than 40 years. Now, we have Sandy Duncan (in Keeler's role as the Bible salesman's understanding wife) back on the boards, also after too long an absence.

Duncan always shone best on stage and it's a shame Broadway hasn't seen more of her over the years. She exudes a cheerfulness and can-do-personality that's shown off to best advantage by a proscenium arch. Television and movies never did her justice.

There's also a charming physicality to her performing, a trait that "Nanette" perfectly uses in its big dance numbers, two of which put Duncan front and center. Randy Skinner's choreography, primarily of the tap variety, mirrors the fun of the show's music, particularly its two best-known songs, "I Want to Be Happy" and "Tea for Two."

The first encapsulates the show's sunny personality, a generosity of spirit (laced with a sly wink) found in the lyric: "I want to be happy but I won't be happy till I make you happy, too." Watching Duncan and company enthusiastically work their way through this number can't help but make spirits soar.

Even more airborne is the light, almost soft-shoe tapping in "Tea for Two," led by Nanette (a delightful Mara Davi) and her stodgy fiance Tom (Shonn Wiley). It's heavenly.

Yet there is more than just tap-dancing in "No, No, Nanette," and much of it belongs to Michael Berresse as an attorney who tries to extricate that Bible salesman (Charles Kimbrough) from his female difficulties.

Berresse, a Gene Kelly-like dancer, is superbly matched with Beth Leavel, who portrays his suspicious, free-spending wife. Leavel is a glorious comedian and a canny performer who may not be a dancer but who knows how to cleverly disguise that fact. In her big duet with Berresse, "You Can Dance With Any Girl," she gamely follows his lead, and her partner offers gracious support.

Much of the comic business is supplied by a hilarious trio of gold diggers — Angel Reda, Jennifer Cody and Nancy Anderson — all of them after that Bible money. And then there is Rosie O'Donnell as a wisecracking maid. O'Donnell may not be much of a singer, but she's a game tapper and wins most of her laughs playing off a recalcitrant vacuum cleaner, not the easiest of tasks.

Director Walter Bobbie has marshaled his cast well. They exude an aura of good feeling, a joyous sense of innocent fun that makes "No, No, Nanette," now heading for its 90th birthday, seem younger than ever.

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