Page 16 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • October 15, 2014 Playhouse begins season with revival of ‘Can-Can’ by Dennis Seuling “Can-Can,” the 1953 Cole Porter musical, is being pre- sented in a revised version as the first attraction of the season at Millburn’s Paper Mill Playhouse. The current show retains all of Porter’s original songs -- including one that never made it into the final version of the original show -- and doesn’t borrow from Porter’s extensive catalogue of hits. The original book by Abe Burrows has been dusted off and respectfully altered by Joel Fields and David Lee. The original production appeared on Broadway during its Golden Age, a time when musicals flourished and even modest shows had respectable runs. “Can-Can” followed Porter’s immensely successful “Kiss Me Kate” and the less impressive “Out of This World,” and made Gwen Verdon an overnight star. A 1960 film adaptation starred Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine, Maurice Chevalier, and Louis Jourdan. The current production stars Kate Baldwin as Pistache, owner of the Parisian café Bal du Paradis, who runs afoul of the authorities by presenting the scandalous Can-Can dance. Her establishment is regularly raided and closed down, but because no one will issue a formal complaint, she continues to feature the dance to delighted audiences. When Judge Aristide Forestier (Jason Daniely) decides to pay a visit to the nightclub to see what all the fuss is about, he discovers that Pastiche is a former acquaintance. Aris- tide must balance his growing affection for Pastiche with his professional duty as judge and upholder of the law. Sarah Marie Jenkins, Michael McArthur, and Evan Kasprzak in ‘Can-Can.’ The plot is simple, but the score and excellent cast carry the production. Baldwin, a familiar face on Broadway, is charmingly risqué as she jokes with the cafe’s audience, makes suggestive comments, and promises a rousingly good time. She has the perfect voice for this show. Her sound is big and brash and has a teasing quality that seems to urge listeners to be a little naughty. Decked out in Ann Hould-Ward’s late 1800s costumes, she is a more genteel, subdued Mae West. Daniely is a fine actor who can bring down the house when he sings. His Aristide is debonair and authoritative, though he never quite achieves the stuffed shirt demeanor the early part of the play suggests. Part of the fun of the play is seeing Aristide melt under the considerable charms of Pistache. Initially, he comes off as a pretty nice guy, so his transformation into a fellow madly in love is less of a stretch than if he were a more rigid bureaucrat. In any case, Daniely does justice to the score’s most famous song, “I Love Paris,” the soulful “It’s All Right with Me,” and the duet with Baldwin, “C’est Magnifique.” Comedy is provided by Boris Adzinidzinadez (Greg Hildreth), a Bulgarian artist who lives off the hard work of the club’s seamstress, Claudine (Megan Sikora), and produces bizarre sculptures. Boris is convinced he is the next Rodin. In one of the show’s funniest scenes, a trio of these sculptures is trotted out, showing the work of a self- deluded, tasteless hack. His number, “Never, Never Be an Artist” comically enumerates the trials and tribulations of the artist’s life. Patti Colombo’s choreography deserves star billing. She has produced a series of wild dances that beautifully show- case the dancers’ considerable talents and the suggestive moves (which now seem quite tame) that made the can-can so shocking in the 1890s. This is the kind of choreography that is not seen often on Broadway these days. It is exhila- rating in itself and energizes the entire production. The Porter score is a combination of ballads, novelty numbers, and catchy, rhyme-heavy ditties. The title song, for example, features almost every possible rhyme for “Can-Can,” and is reminiscent of Porter’s other list songs, such as “You’re the Top.” At intermission, cast member Steve Orich urges the audience to provide additional words that rhyme with “Can-Can” to be inserted by the cast into a curtain call reprise. These spur-of-the moment sugges- tions are seamlessly incorporated into the song, illustrating both the quick-study ability of the cast and the flexibility of Porter’s song to serve up countless witty choruses. “Can-Can” continues Paper Mill Playhouse’s tradition of mounting musicals in the Broadway tradition. In fact, there is talk this show is headed for a Broadway run. The opening night audience at Paper Mill loved the show. Hope- fully, this enthusiasm will transfer to Broadway. However, in the company of such shows as “Wicked,” “The Book of Mormon,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Chicago,” “Can- Can” might have difficulty fitting in. The plot does not have the substance and dramatic bite of these musicals and may seem quaint or old-fashioned. “Can-Can” will be performed eight times a week through Oct. 26. Performances are Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1:30 and 7 p.m. Tickets range from $28 to $99 and may be purchased by calling (973) 376-4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse box office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at http://www. PaperMill.org. Cook Up Some Business! Advertise your restaurant in The Villadom TIMES. You’ll reach over 47,000 households. 201-652-0744 www.villadom.com