BROADWAY SNAP-SHOT
by Russell Bouthiller

Dateline: 21 October 2003

THE BOY FROM OZ

BIOGRAPHY: THE MUSICAL may as well have been the title for the new musical THE BOY FROM OZ. Tonight's subject: Peter Allen. Sequence after sequence sketches out the sequined life of the dazzling Down Under performer, fully loaded with doubles to play the other famous people and an assortment of the artist's best-known songs to set the score.

Oops! I forgot to mention the show's greatest asset: its star, Hugh Jackman. In fact, Jackman single-handedly saves THE BOY FROM OZ from having a house dropped on it. He does so by going full-throttle in his portrayal of the Australian-born singer-songwriter. And, like his subject, you can't help but catch his unflappable and infectious energy.

THE BOY FROM OZ has to rank among most cliche-ridden show-biz-bioplays in theatre history. We open in an obscure, little town (this time in Australia's Outback) where a youngster with stars in his eyes just doesn't fit in. To his drunken father he's an embarrassment, but to his mother he is the apple of her eye.

We quickly bounce through the early successes, meet other noteworthy stars in his life and witness the backstage drama of his failed marriage. Career lows at the end of Act I set up an Act II resurgence. But, alas, this is cut short by the onset of a fatal disease. We, then, take a heartfelt look back, closing with a splashy, life-affirming final number. Curtain.

Directed breezily by Philip Wm. McKinley with a book by Michael Sherman, THE BOY FROM OZ treats us to a vast array of Allen hits. The attempt, however, to match the songs to actual events in his life comes off as belabored and contrived. This is amply displayed when Allen's wife, Liza Minelli (Stephanie J. Block), sings "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love" at their break-up scene. And, when Allen's mother, Marion (Beth Fowler) and son close Act One with "Not The Boy Next Door," Peter's midpoint revelation: You can never go home again.

Also, it seems rather odd to have the actor portraying Peter Allen look and sound nothing like Peter Allen; then, to have a Judy Garland, played most effectively by Isabel Keating, presented as a hyper-concentrated, exact replica. So, too, is Stephanie Block's Liza. Both come off as if they are drag acts that are being played by women. And, when Judy Garland says "It takes a good coma to give you a sense of proportion," what else can you think?

Scenic designer Robin Wagner is lucky we can't keep our eyes off Jackman. For a big, expensive musical, this one is comes in well under budget in the set department. Large projections establish a New York City location. A sheer, floor-to-ceiling drape across it doubles as a penthouse. And, in the Radio City Music Hall number, "Everything Old is New Again," cardboard cut-outs of a line of Rockettes are wheeled out to pump up the volume.

Costume designs by William Ivey Long keep everyone looking as if they are ready to walk out onstage at any moment. Lighting by Donald Holder bathe the stars in an luxurious glow. And, choreographer Joey McKneely creates clever illusions with his rather small company of dancers.

But, who cares? There's Hugh Jackman. And, using his X-Men Wolverine powers, Jackman heals this show with his superhuman powers. Delivering songs with a vigor and charm equal to Peter Allen's--and a far better voice, at that--Jackman sets the Imperial Theatre ablaze with excitement and vibrancy, leaving the audience inured to the weaker elements of the production. And, more importantly, he makes it worth the cost of admission at a full-price ticket.

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An anecdotal aside: during intermission I ran into a colleague who said to me, "I'm looking for someone who has the score, but I guess this is the wrong crowd." Why on earth, I wondered, would she need a copy of the music to write her review? And, why was this "the wrong crowd?" It wasn't until back at my seat I realized she had been referring to the World Series game. How right she was; it was the wrong crowd. And, I was the perfect example.