The boys in pink
Dutch Courage
Book by Barry Lowe
Music and Lyrics by Sean Peter
Directed by Fred C. L. Mann III
Musical Direction by Hayley Johnson
Wings Theatre Company (www.wingstheatre.com)
Equity Showcase (closed
Review by Michael D. Jackson
Dutch Courage, a
musical concerning the plight of homosexuals in
There is a great sense of
nobility in this show, but something terrible has happened on the trip from its
celebrated Australian premiere to its Wings debut. What appears in the
underground space is a tacky, tattered, disjointed production. Although
choreographed well enough, the overall direction by Fred C. L. Mann III cannot
begin to help the meandering script of hazy history. We are asked to suspend
our disbelief that the German Officer (Jared Joplin) can believe that Greta is
actually a woman and even engage in an ongoing flirtatious relationship with
her. How is it then that another German soldier sees through her right
away? And with the direction, we are
expected to accept that private information exchanged between the gay men
cannot be heard by a German soldier standing two yards away from them. Then
there is the bigger problem: that not much happens for most of the show. There
is a lot of talk about how the gang is going to help the war effort, but little
demonstration of their actions – besides putting on a good cabaret act.
The cast, in general, are a
brave lot, giving one hundred percent to this piece, even if they sometimes
come across as over-projecting their emotions beyond reality – even though this
is a musical with a heightened sense of reality. Certain songs are presented as
show biz turns, presenting wide themes that apply to the play in the way that
much of Cabaret handles musical
numbers. Others are book scene songs utilizing the entire ensemble; the
occasional love duet between the German soldier Kurt and Jopie, one of the
resistance gang (Frank Galgano and Matthew Napoli respectively); and a weighty
number of solos for Greta. One of Greta’s songs, “Getcha,” performed as if in
rehearsal, was extraneous, but the other songs helped to serve the slim story
and kept the production from completely sinking.
The play teaches very little
about the history of gay men persecuted by the Nazis. A few basics are there,
but these are the same basics we learned in greater detail from plays like Bent or Richard Plant’s The Pink Triangle. If there is to be a
“pink triangle” musical, then it must tell us more than a general and
implausible story. If the musical were to be a love story between a gay man and
a Nazi, then the entire thrust of the story should be focused on the plight of
those characters with WWII Amsterdam as the backdrop. For now, the focus has
not been found and it is impossible to warm up to any of the thinly drawn
characters. That being said, emerging from the muck, like a subject from an
Otto Dix painting, is the formidable character of Greta, singing and swaggering
in unfortunate costumes by Craig Lowry, trying to hold the entire enterprise
together. Kenny Wade Marshall makes a grand attempt, but the material is
impossible to lift up.
The basic set by Fred Mann
and Anthony Galaska is dignified by a flashing sign announcing “Chez Sissy,”
but is otherwise under designed and cheap. Galaska also handles the lighting
design, which is only basic outside of a few flourishes. Craig Lowery’s
costumes are a disappointment and do not help the actors to look their best. Music
direction by Hayley Johnson seemed to do the job, though the synthesized
support only added to the downtrodden quality of the entire production.
Writing: 0
Directing: 1
Acting: 1
Sets: 1
Costumes: 0
Lighting/Sound: 0
Copyright 2008 by Michael D.
Jackson
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