Play On at Arena Stage 12/4/00

by Alan Greenblatt

Clinton Derricks-Carroll and Wayne J. Pretlow really ham it up when they sing the Duke Ellington blues "Rocks in My Bed" at Arena Stage, part of the current musical "Play On." They bang each other's bellies, get down on their knees in a begging position, lift their heads back and roar. Still, their rousing version provides the only moment of sheer delight in the production.

It's a fairly entertaining show, though. There are a couple of Ellington numbers -- just about every one the average person may have heard of -strung throughout a fairly standard intertwined love stories plot ever so loosely based on "Twelfth Night."

Nikki Crawford, a classic armpit waver, plays a character meant to be a great diva and she sings "I Ain't Got Nothing But the Blues" slowly, slowly, for effect, letting the good pit band carry the piece along. David Jennings, as the Duke, sings a couple of songs as though he were James Ingram or some other 1980s soul singer. Julia Lema, as "Miss Mary," is wasted in a small part. Among the leads only Richard Allen, in a comic role, has a good feeling for this material, meaning he would sound good singing it only on a cabaret stage, lending a nice swinging lilt to "I'm Beginning to See the Light." The acting overall is certainly pretty bad.

Sheldon Epps, who conceived the show, hardly lets a cliche go by him in his staging. The show opens with a wide-eyed newcomer to the big city complete with suitcase in hand who takes the "A" train and then sits on it, gazing wonderingly at the city. The dances by Mercedes Ellington, who if I remember is a granddaughter, are rather ordinary. The costumes and makeshift sets are all in bold primary colors.

It's yet another tribute to the way in which shopworn show biz techniques can be effective. (See also the current movie "Billy Elliott.") I had the sense that the show could have been wonderful. Instead, it was merely enjoyable, worth the cost of a half-price ticket.