Jamie Cordes and Maria Couch in right next to me

Composer Gregg Coffin, familiar to local musical theater aficionados for his masterful portrait of a fractured family (“Convenience”) and zany dose of musically flavorful romance (“Five Course Love”), is in the spotlight once more as the Human Race Theatre Company presents the regional premiere of his genuinely affecting, sung-through opus “right next to me,” a poignant, solemn and timely musical about love, loss and acceptance that in some respects feels as if it’s still a work in progress.

Since its 2009 Human Race workshop, “right next to me” underwent major rewrites resulting in a more succinct vision. It has smoothly advanced from a tale of three interweaving storylines to one that specifically focuses on the depressed, heartbroken Jen (Maria Couch), a widow struggling to move forward a year after her husband, Marine Major David Marshall (Jamie Cordes), was killed in Iraq. With the help of her brother-in-law, Marine Captain Michael Marshall (Jim Poulos), Jen is ultimately able to assess and endearingly reflect on the past and her current state of transition as she joins Michael in scattering David’s ashes at a variety of meaningful places per his request such as a sledding hill, a trestle bridge and an amusement park.

Oddly, the first and second scenes are slow, confusing and musically unexciting. Jen’s loyal friend Trish Holmes (Dana Mierlak) particularly opens the show with a bundle of energy, but there isn’t a clear indication of who she is or why she is an important presence. It is understandable Jen would need someone to confide in, but Trish, a busy supermom, is presently underdeveloped to the point of being superfluous. Mierlak, a fine vocalist, tries to inject depth into the role but her forced efforts, including her comedic timing, fall short under the otherwise fluidly focused direction of Melissa Rain Anderson.

Still, Jen and David’s appealingly surreal exchanges, a series of well-conceived flashbacks and the impactful journey of reconciliation between Jen and Michael evolving from rocky discord to tender hopefulness keep the action emotionally resonant while providing an assortment of tuneful pluses. Coffin, responsible for the expert orchestrations, admirably infuses evocative Middle Eastern inflections into the pop/ballad-friendly score for some of David’s Iraq-inspired numbers, solidly interpreted by Cordes in one of his most striking portrayals. Couch, a naturally emotive actress very compatible with Cordes throughout, especially in the delightful “Two Chilly People,” brings Act 1 to a tear-jerking finish with a beautifully pensive rendition of “I Can’t Believe You’re Gone,” a plaintive anthem detailing Jen’s shell-shocked existence. Poulos, so marvelous in “Convenience” opposite Anderson, equally shines, fully conveying Michael’s conflicted nature and bringing heartfelt sincerity to his desire to follow David’s example and become a better man. He also winningly sings the Billy Joel-esque “Confirm/Deny” and terrific title number, a quietly captivating song that deserves a reprise by Jen in the final scene.

Despite conceptual shortcomings, “right next to me” is one of the most engaging new works of the season. It certainly has the potential to be catapulted from decent to dynamic.

right next to me, which opened Friday, May 27, continues through Sunday, June 12 at the Loft Theatre, 126 N. Main St. Performances are Wednesday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. There will be special 7 p.m. performances Sunday, June 5 and Tuesday, June 7. Act One: 73 minutes; Act Two: 40 minutes. The Friday, June 3 performance has been designated ‘Blue Star Mothers Night’ in which $10 from each adult single ticket purchase will be donated to the Dayton Chapter of Blue Star Mothers, an organization supporting military personnel and families. In addition, there will be a post-show talkback following the Sunday, June 5 matinee moderated by Human Race marketing director Leigh Allan and featuring composer Gregg Coffin. Before the June 7 performance, the Lite Fare at The Loft event, offering gourmet sandwiches and desserts for patrons in the Loft lobby courtesy of Citilites, will begin at 5:30 p.m. For tickets or additional information, call (937) 228-3630 or visit www.humanracetheatre.org.

In related news, the Human Race’s 2011 Festival of New Musicals will be held August 5-7 at the Loft Theatre. This year’s selections are Love Makes the World Go ’Round: The Songs of Bob Merrill, Pump Up the Volume (presented by Encore Theater Company and based on the 1990 film of the same name) and Play It Cool.

Geoff Burkman and Amy Brooks in Mauritius

Cincinnati native Theresa Rebeck’s terrifically engrossing 2007 comic drama “Mauritius” receives an excellent local premiere at the Dayton Theatre Guild.

Sharply staged with subtle nuances by Saul Caplan, “Mauritius” concerns the sibling rift between half-sisters Jackie (a dynamic Amy Brooks) and Mary (a firmly unyielding Teresa Connair) who differ on the sentimental value of a family stamp collection they possess following their mother’s death. In Jackie’s eyes, the rare collection –  potentially worth $6 million and containing a one-penny and two-penny “Post Office” stamp printed incorrectly in 1847 on the titular island near Madagascar – is the quick answer to her financial problems, but Mary feels it should be preserved in a museum as a tribute to her late grandfather. This intriguing conflict is the source of the play’s emotionally compelling pulse yet the astutely woven inclusion of three colorful stamp aficionados broadens the material past familial baggage in an attempt to raise its suspenseful stakes while addressing the complex delicacy associated with bargaining and negotiating.

Brooks, in a strikingly meticulous performance rivaling Alison Pill’s turn in the original Broadway production, embodies Jackie with marvelous tenacity and gumption. With casually instinctive yet passionate flair, she transforms Jackie into a formidable force and an impressively quick study into the world of stamp collecting. She also beautifully reveals the hurt and agony set into motion by Mary’s absence as their mother grew ill and during her youth, winningly implying late in the play that Jackie was abused by her father. Still, one of her finest moments, arriving at the end of Act 1 as Jackie and Mary reach a breaking point in their struggle to compromise, is splendidly shared with Connair, who avoids seeming prudish or uncaring in a role that is borderline icy and detached.

Additionally, Geoff Burkman absolutely shines as the foul-mouthed, easily irritable and incessantly stringent Sterling, an intimidating businessman who craves the art of the deal and prefers to call the shots. Burkman’s piercingly calm and cool delivery of Sterling’s enticing monologue about commerce and the stark reality of transactions, in which “the rules become your enemy,” is a magnetic high point. Alex Carmichal is equally convincing as Sterling’s less menacing colleague Dennis. Pat Santucci completes the cast as Philip, an ethically challenged philatelist at the center of one of the play’s juicy twists.

Choosing to live in the past or present is a key concern in this appealing creation from Rebeck, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for “Omnium Gatherum” who recently wrote the pilot episode for next season’s NBC Broadway-themed series “Smash.” Jackie and Mary’s bickering battle tears them apart, but witnessing their journey is well worth your time.

Mauritius, which opened Friday, May 13, continues through Sunday, May 29 at the Dayton Theatre Guild, 430 Wayne Ave. Performances are Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Act One: 54 minutes; Act Two: 53 minutes. Tickets are $10-$17. The play contains adult language. For tickets or more information, call (937) 278-5993 or visit www.daytontheatreguild.org

Photo Credit: Cory MacPherson

Wright State University supplies a breezy and joyful production of the tuneful tap dance extravaganza “42nd Street,” Michael Stewart, Mark Bramble, Harry Warren and Al Dublin’s hokey yet engaging Depression-era love letter to musical theater based on the 1933 film of the same name.

Much of the success of this highly entertaining showcase, attractively designed by costumer D. Bartlett Blair and scenic artist Tamara L. Honesty, stems from the indelible influence of choreographer Rick Conant, who has staged numerous productions of “42nd Street” across the country and internationally specifically recreating the original choreography of the legendary Gower Champion (“Bye Bye Birdie,” “Hello, Dolly!”). From the rousing tap frenzy of the opening “Audition” and the circular fluidity of “Getting Out of Town” to the cheery exuberance of “We’re In the Money” and the carefree flair of “Lullaby of Broadway,” Conant winningly upholds Champion’s legacy without embellishment. He also seamlessly shares directing credit with Joe Deer, who astutely chose to produce the original 1980 script which is tighter and more succinct than the 2001 revival extraneously equipped with additional scenes/songs.

Conant and Deer’s wonderfully spirited cast is impressively headlined by amiable triple threat Alyssa Hostetler who was born to play Peggy Sawyer, the unassuming hoofer from Allentown, PA who becomes the saving grace of the Broadway-bound musical comedy “Pretty Lady.” Hostetler’s humility and naietve are pleasant attributes as Peggy faces her share of adversity, but her particularly fantastic tap abilities is a hallmark of the opening scene and remains a knockout. Valerie Reaper’s beautiful vocals add to the enjoyment of her deliciously biting yet vulnerable portrayal of aging diva Dorothy Brock. Reaper’s renditions of “Shadow Waltz” and “I Know Now” are as lovely as “About a Quarter to Nine” which she shares with Hostetler. Jason Collins, a firm baritone, is a natural fit as the demanding producer-director Julian Marsh, but he occasionally flubbed his dialogue at the performance attended which lessened Julian’s self-assured persona.

Further, terrific tenor Zach Cossman has slight difficulty balancing the charm and vanity within “Pretty Lady” leading man Billy Lawlor, but he is certainly smooth and debonair while leading the elegant “Dames” and winningly shares the spotlight with Hostetler in a captivating tap sequence during the title number. Hilary Fingerman and Joey Monda are naturally comedic and likable as Maggie Jones and Bert Barry, co-writers of “Pretty Lady.” Alex Sunderhaus, Darien Crago and Sarah Agar are respectively animated, endearing and vivacious as chorines Anytime Annie, Phyllis and Lorraine. Sunderhaus notably joins Monda for a very cute and playful rendition of “Shuffle Off to Buffalo.” Ian Blanco truly shines in “Audition” as choreographer Andy Lee. Alex Horton (Abner Dillon), Riley Able (Pat Denning) and Blaine Boyd (Mac) are solid in additional supporting roles.  Musical director Rick Church leads an outstanding orchestra.

If you’re looking for an upbeat escape featuring some of the finest dancing seen on any stage this season, don’t hesitate to buy a ticket to “42nd Street.”

42nd Street, which opened Thursday, May 12, continues through Sunday, May 29 in the Festival Playhouse Stein Auditorium of the Creative Arts Center at Wright State University, 3640 Col. Glenn Hwy., Fairborn. Performances are Wednesday at 7 p.m. (May 18 only), Thursday-Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 70 minutes; Act Two: 45 minutes. Tickets are $17-$19. For tickets or more information, call (937) 775-2500.

The Dayton Playhouse has a history of embracing challenges, but the organization overreaches and stumbles with a shaky season-ending production of Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein’s 1983 musical “La Cage aux Folles,” based on the 1973 play by Jean Poiret.

At its core, “La Cage” is a funny, touching and thought-provoking portrait of a family at odds, but it is also a bold look into a world of mystery, seduction and sensuality, pivotal elements missing in director Doug Lloyd’s dispassionate staging saddled with low energy. The titular St. Tropez nightclub specifically thrives on its entertaining chorus line of Cagelles yet the lukewarm individuals cast in the daring roles fail to typify the troupe’s “notorious” and “dangerous” reputation. Timidity and trepidation is not an option for the Cagelles, and although no one expects the Playhouse to produce an expert quality of drag on par with “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (did anyone tell Dayton’s own India Farrah about “La Cage” auditions?), their underdeveloped presence is problematic despite the effort. Without setting the proper tone at the forefront with credible Cagelles, towering examples of individuality and pride defiantly proclaiming “We Are What We Are,” “La Cage” simply loses its identity, morphing into a show that is more about costumes than character.
Even so, the production is primarily and respectively kept afloat by the admirable, witty contributions of Michael Boyd and Richard Croskey in the central roles of La Cage owner/emcee Georges and his female impersonator lover Albin. Croskey, particularly appealing as the flamboyant drag queen Zaza while delivering the saucy title number and the riveting anthem “I Am What I Am,” provides big laughs early in Act 2 when Albin is encouraged to discover his masculinity. This duo establishes a compatible bond and convey genuine parental concern when Georges and Albin’s son Jean-Michel (Zach King) announces his engagement to Anne Dindon (Sarah Parsons), the daughter of unabashedly conservative parents.
In notable featured roles, King, so wonderful ushering in “Springtime for Hitler” in the Playhouse’s marvelous production of “The Producers” last summer, struggled vocally at the performance attended, but is well paired with the winsome Parsons and effectively reiterates Jean-Michel’s insistence that the Dindons meet his parents in the traditional sense by requesting the presence of his estranged birth mother Sybil. Duante Beddingfield is a prime source of comic relief as the fussy Jacob yet his excitable nature  feels out of sync because of the off-kilter dynamic among the cast. At the same rate, due to the show’s sheer unevenness, Jeff Campbell and a particularly terrific Karen Righter are able to steal the show as the uptight Edouard and Marie Dindon. Chris Hammond is very engaging as the bubbly Jacqueline.
Elsewhere, set designer Chris Harmon offers one of his most colorful, efficient creations. Choreographer Stacy Gear’s routines are intended to be lively, but lack zest in execution. Stephanie Dickey, Karen Dickey and Kaitlyn Osborn are responsible for the costumes. Music director Ron Kindell leads a steady off-stage orchestra.
This “La Cage” is underwhelmingly stuck in neutral, reticent to truly sparkle and come alive, but perhaps all involved will coalesce to embrace and simply sell the delightful musical theater magic within the material before the production must sashay away.

La Cage aux Folles, which opened Friday, May 13, continues through Sunday, May 29 at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 70 minutes; Act Two: 65 minutes. Tickets are $10-$15. For tickets or more information, call (937) 424-8477 or visit www.daytonplayhouse.org. In related news, the Playhouse’s 2011-12 season will consist of Jekyll & Hyde, Abie’s Irish Rose, Scrooge, Nunsense, Bus Stop and The Sound of Music.

Stephen Schwartz

Alexandra Finke of Centerville and Mimi Klipstine Dick of West Milton took top honors at the Human Race Theatre Company’s fourth annual Stephen Schwartz Musical Theatre Scholarship competition Tuesday, April 26 at the Loft Theatre.

Named in honor of the prolific composer of such musicals as “Godspell,” “Pippin,” “The Prince of Egypt” and “Wicked,” the competition, truly competitive and musically engaging, featured six collegiate and four high school students who prepared a Schwartz selection and a show tune from another composer.

Finke, a Muse Machine alumna and a junior at the University of Michigan who performed “Corner of the Sky” (“Pippin”) and “Pulled” (“The Addams Family”), received a $2,500 scholarship. She was also co-winner of the 2008 inaugural competition. “It’s a huge honor,” Finke said. “It was wonderful to perform with such amazing singers. It’s great that the Human Race Theatre Company provides such opportunities.”

Dick, a senior at the Interlochen Arts Academy who performed “Defying Gravity” (“Wicked”) and “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” (“Anything Goes”), received a $1,000 scholarship. Equally thrilled as Finke, Dick looks forward to pursuing her musical theater aspirations in college. “It feels amazing!,” she said. “I love musical theater. I want to be on Broadway – that’s the dream.”

The remaining finalists were Joanna Draper of Oakwood High School, Bradley Farmer of Springboro High School, Mary Kate O’Neill of Kettering-Fairmont High School, Jamard Richardson of the University of Oklahoma and Wright State University students Blaine Boyd, Alyssa Hostetler, Jenyth Rosati and Lucian Smith. Each finalist received marvelous accompaniment courtesy of music director-pianist Julie Spangler of the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. Human Race resident artist Scott Stoney served as acting coach. Nathan D. Dean handled sound duties.

In addition to Finke and Dick’s radiant performances, musical highlights included Boyd’s dynamic “Proud Lady” (“The Baker’s Wife”), Draper’s cute and coy “Times Like This” (“Lucky Stiff”), Farmer’s perfectly perky “Popular” (“Wicked”), Hostetler’s magnetic “The Wizard and I” (“Wicked”), O’Neill’s outstanding deliveries of “Ain’t It Good” (“Children of Eden”) and “The Worst Pies in London” (“Sweeney Todd”), Richardson’s cool and smooth “It Ain’t Necessarily So” (“Porgy and Bess”), Rosati’s tender “Where Is the Warmth?” (“The Baker’s Wife”) and Smith’s gently authentic “With You” (“Pippin”).

Judges were Human Race producing artistic director Kevin Moore, Human Race resident artist Patricia Linhart of the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music and Victoria Theatre Association vice president of programming Tina McPhearson. The audience also provided a collective vote. Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra music director Neal Gittleman hosted the festivities, which included an intriguing preview of scenes from Schwartz’s first opera “Seance on a Wet Afternoon.”

For more information, visit www.humanracetheatre.org