10. If you like old-fashioned musicals, this Broadway revival by the creators of Guys and Dolls, Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows, now in previews with a March 27th opening, is well worth your time.
9. It is presented straight; that is, nothing has been cut (as was the case in the 1995 revival) or adjusted for 2011 sensibilities. Yes, you are forewarned, the secretaries -- all women, natch -- in the corporate world of this historical artifact of 1961 want nothing more than to marry and spend their lives in one of the snazzier suburbs. (The heroine yearns for New Rochelle.) The men, on the other hand, are all clawing their way to the top. Not to mention the acceptance of their bits on the side. Bits like Hedy La Rue who causes men to ogle and women to sigh. An ironic view of a particular stereotyped time and place. Don't go if this sort of stuff bothers you. Watch the movie The Apartment instead.
8. The staging is terrific -- the set, the costumes, lightning, and all. Very Mad Men, but in the frothy vein.
7. There are a bunch of winning production numbers. Director/Choreographer Rob Ashford knows what he is doing.
6. The ensemble is excellent.
7. So are the various secondary players.
6. Tammy Blanchard's portrayal of the vavoom girl, Hedy La Rue, a close cousin of Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. She's remarkably nuanced in this production -- at one moment a bit of a flit and at another smart and savvy, but not mean or nasty. It is a tightrope to walk/dance/strut in 2011 and Blanchard pulls it off.
5. Rose Hemingway, in her Broadway debut as the ingenue Rosemary, is totally charming.
4. It is a kick to see hangdog John Larroquette, also in his Broadway debut, singing and dancing. Not to mention, knitting.
3. The show is a lighthearted treat. Go to be entertained and nothing more.
2. The audience is a hoot. Lots of very, very, VERY excited young women because...
1. Daniel Radcliffe is pretty darn good. Yep, he sings and dances very nicely indeed. And he plays the tricky role of someone slipping his way up the corporate ladder in a remarkably endearing way. No easy thing to do that.
Also at educating alice.