From today's NY Times
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July 30, 1999
THEATER REVIEW
'The Great Debate': Darwinian Monkeyshines Much Sung and Danced
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By ANITA GATES
There is no reason in the world that creationists shouldn't
tap-dance. They may, however, want to look for a better vehicle
than "The Great Debate," a well-intentioned but dreadful and
self-congratulatory anti-evolution musical at the Lamb's Theater.
Mona Johnian, a Massachusetts composer and lyricist, has written
something that could have been a nicely done little church
production, but it doesn't belong on a professional stage. When
Adam (Tom Schmid) is feeling sick at heart at the end of Act I
(he's confused by all this talk of apes and science and natural
selection), Eva (Jamie Collins) says, sounding like the host of a
television show for preschool children: "Then come with me. We need
to make a house call to a very wise gentleman." In Act II, we see
her take Adam to see Job (Benjamin Spierman), who will show him
what sick at heart really is.
As an actress, choreographer and dancer, Ms. Collins has great
hair. She has choreographed as many dance styles as could possibly
be crammed into a one-hour and 45-minute show, and they all look
like parodies of themselves. Some of her work resembles a musical
number from "The Brady Bunch Movie," which, as you'll recall, is
already a parody; in one song, the cast seems to be doing the
Supremes' hand gestures to "Stop in the Name of Love"; a couple of
dances appear to be a 12-year-old's idea of Isadora Duncan modern,
and at one point Satan (Danny Gilroy) tries to do a little slinky
Bob Fosse. In all these variations, the dancers raise their arms a
lot. And no one enjoys Ms. Collins's choreography more than Ms.
Collins (take it down a notch, Cassie), especially when she appears
to imitate a would-be child star auditioning her little heart out.
There is one rousing number in which the dancing works beautifully.
But then it's the hora, just as it's done at every Jewish wedding,
and Ms. Collins can't take credit for that.
The lyrics aren't much better, running to the treacly, like "Time
is a beautiful gift of love." And despite the show's title, there
isn't really any debate. Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin and
Clarence Darrow are simply presented as arrogant idiots, laughing
when asked if they believe in God and speaking and singing lines
like "Several times a day I bow to the god of intellect." As
Einstein, Joel Liestman manages a touching moment at the end of one
song, musing quietly, "But I cannot say where love comes from -- or
beauty -- or desire." This is quite a feat, since he has clearly
been directed to behave like a doddering old fool. "The Great
Debate" could have used many more thoughtful moments like that.
Thank goodness there are a few bright spots. Ms. Collins has a good
singing voice. Schmid has a nice voice, too, and a pleasant stage
presence. And it's possible that Chaundra Cameron, the one black
cast member (her character is called the Ethiopian and exists only
to be saved by white missionaries), has a truly thrilling voice.
But she only had a few solo lines, so it was hard to tell.
"The Great Debate," directed by Patty Freeman, continues Thursdays
through Sundays until Aug. 15.
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Copyright 1999 The New York Times Company
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