Theater Review: Evocative ‘For the Boys’ Must Blend Disconnected Song With Rich Story

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CHICAGO – Musical theater takes on the burden or blessing of twice the challenge as songless theater. To earn widespread acclaim and timeless durability, a show will seamlessly balance song and story in perfect harmony. The two living, breathing creatures must symbiotically advance each other. If one’s stronger, one suffocates the other and both die.

HollywoodChicago.com Comedy/Tragedy Rating: 3.5/5.0
Play Rating: 3.5/5.0

That’s the case with the world premiere of “For the Boys” at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Ill., which is running now through Oct. 16, 2011. When separated, both components are equally strong. But when melded, that’s when the amalgamation reveals its weakness. Imagine watching one of the Harry Potter films, and just after Harry triumphs in a fierce quidditch match, he confusingly busts out singing “Light My Candle” from the musical “Rent”.

Michele Ragusa and Timothy Gulan in For the Boys at the Marriott Theatre
Michele Ragusa (left) and Timothy Gulan in “For the Boys” at the Marriott Theatre.
Photo credit: Marriott Theatre

While these song-and-dance numbers are a healthy mix of emotional ballads with upbeat big band, they only emote within themselves rather than helping to make sense of and progress the arc of the entire show’s story. The new musical by writer Aaron Thielen is based on the 1991 film of the same name with Bette Midler and James Caan. Midler earned an Oscar nomination the following year for her performance as Dixie Leonard.

This time around, Broadway star Michele Ragusa is shipped into Chicagoland to take the reigns instead of local leading lady. And in place of James Caan, Timothy Gulan plays opposite Ragusa as the show’s leading man: Eddie Sparks. Gulan has kept himself busy on national tours and in films. The two out-of-towners continue Chicago’s current trend of importing leading talent from somewhere else and rounding out the cast with locals.

“Everyone else” includes Chicagoland talent Anne Gunn as Loretta Brooks, Summer Smart as Margaret, Michael Lindner as Sam Schiff, Bernie Yvon as Wally Fields, Johanna McKenzie Miller as Luanna Trott, Holly Stauder as Gloria, Michael Weber as Art Silver, Melissa Zaremba as Victoria Lee, Katheryn Patton as Evelyn, Rod Thomas as a band singer and Jameson Cooper as Michael. John Michael Coppola, Alex Goodrich, Karl Hamilton, Andrew Mueller, Brandon Springman, Zachary Keller, Johnny Rabe, Daniel Coonley and Conlan Ledwith are also featured.

Michele Ragusa and Timothy Gulan in For the Boys at the Marriott Theatre
Timothy Gulan (middle left) and Michele Ragusa (middle right) in “For the Boys” at the Marriott Theatre.
Photo credit: Marriott Theatre

Just as film and theater helped America escape from and cope through the Great Depression, touring performances for our nation’s soldiers have offered emotional emancipation, a reminder of life back home, laughter and a time to cry all wrapped within a safe haven. But these performers were so much more than just celebrities. By proxy, the touring Eddie Sparks and Dixie Leonards were your temporary friend, father, mother and lover when your actual loved ones were thousands of miles away.

Eddie and Dixie ran their acts for the USO (“Until Every One Comes Home”) – the non-profit supporting American soldiers and their families – spanning the course of three wars. On the Marriott’s well-funded stage, “For the Boys” shines most luminous with Ragusa and Gulan’s emotional progression over time. Their roller coaster rides from professional integration and learned comedic chemistry all the way through hatred, flirtation, love, unbearable sorrow and ultimately regret.

Mixed within their mesmerizing character evolution and the disconnected songs, screens sporadically appear and vanish to put it all into historical context. These newsreel cut scenes play better in film and tend to interrupt the stage flow while the actors used the time for costume changes. The on-stage talent far superseded the spliced-in versions of themselves through a distracting attempt at digital alteration.

Zachary Keller and Timothy Gulan in For the Boys at the Marriott Theatre
Zachary Keller (left) and Timothy Gulan in “For the Boys” at the Marriott Theatre.
Photo credit: Marriott Theatre

While the loquacious script from writer Aaron Thielen and fast-paced direction and choreography from Marc Robin feel like a speedy Aaron Sorkin screenplay in a film like “The Social Network,” it’s effortless to get lost in the rich progression of this story line. While you may love or hate how the uplifting and glum music makes you feel in the moment, it’s the characters of Eddie and Dixie – and how they so loved to hate each other – that make this play worth watching.

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It’s because of those well-defined characters and that vivid plot line that you’re able to live vicariously through Dixie and Eddie. And as an added benefit, you’re also able to experience a piece of war through the eyes of its beholders.

While “For the Boys” doesn’t break new ground with its climatic moments of death on the battleground or the hell that is fighting at the front lines, what’s most valuable to take home is the reminder of the simplest things that are the most important: love, laughter and being alive to live it all.

“For the Boys” at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Ill. runs now through Oct. 16, 2011. The performance schedule is Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Ticket prices range from $41 to $49. Seniors and students receive $5 off a full-price theatre ticket on Wednesday at 1 p.m., Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Free parking is available at all performances. Visit here for more information.

© 2011 Adam Fendelman, HollywoodChicago.com LLC

HollywoodChicago.com publisher Adam Fendelman

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

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