NEW YORK— Take Me Along (book by Joseph Stein & Robert Russell, music and lyrics by Bob Merrill) is not what one would consider a top-tier musical or even a second-tier musical for that matter. Yet based on Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness! (the only comedy the playwright ever wrote), there is a lot of material to work with.
Currently, The Irish Repertory Theatre is presenting a quite serviceable, if not all that powerful, production of this tale of love and family, as seen through the eyes of people at different stages of life.
The story takes place in the town of Centerville, Connecticut, on the Fourth of July 1920. While everyone is getting ready to celebrate America's day of independence, 16-year-old Richard Miller (Teddy Eck) is more interested in reading poetry, finding his inner self, and getting engaged to his one true love, 15-year-old Muriel McComber (Emily Skeggs).
However, his actions (such as reading Oscar Wilde's Salome to Muriel) do not exactly endear him to her father, (the always enjoyable Gordon Stanley), who orders Richard never to see his daughter again. As Richard's mother Essie (Donna Bullock) worries about her somewhat unrealistic son, his father Nat (William Parry), a well-respected editor of the town newspaper, treats the entire matter with bemusement. A poetry-quoting romantic from way back, Nat stands fully behind Richard, even when that decision ends up costing the paper financially.
As Richard struggles with the pangs of eternal love and his father worries about growing old, the family also has to deal with the return of Essie's roguish brother Sid (Don Stephenson), who would have married Nat's sister Lily (Beth Glover) 10 years ago, if not for his drinking, carousing, and womanizing ways.
When O'Neill wrote Ah, Wilderness! he created the family he always wanted, where no situation was so dire it couldn't be resolved quickly and easily, where people grew wise from their mistakes or reckless deeds, and where everyone eventually faced responsibilities for their own actions.
This same philosophy holds true with Take Me Along, as the old-fashioned manner of the story doesn't so much come alive as much as suck one in with the quaintness and simplicity of its charm. In this tale, poignancy and laughter go hand in hand, thanks to a strong book and a rather sweet (albeit lightweight) score.
Some of the standout musical numbers include the duet, "I Get Embarrassed," between Sid and Lily, a number about being perhaps a bit too coarse and too prim and proper; "Staying Young," Nat's quiet refrain about the inevitability of aging; and the vaudevillian style title tune.
There's also a nice amount of humor present, much of it coming from Richard's adventures—such as when he winds up at the Pleasant Beachhouse ("the passion pit of Connecticut"), or hearing his father try to explain the facts of life, or Richard (who's a stand-in for O'Neill) singing about how he will "strangle himself with his tie" all in the name of love.
Where the work falters, however, is in the portrayal of characters that never seem quite real. While the story creates this idyllic setting, the people inhabiting it are portrayed as very one-dimensional without any real depth.
So where one finds oneself emphasizing with the universal situations of lost love, the heartbreak at a failure to keep an important promise, and the need to act one's age at times, one doesn't really care about the people on stage, as there always seems to be a barrier between them and the audience.
This in turn, robs the show of a much-needed level of intimacy, and is a problem that must be laid at the feet of director Charlotte Moore.
Other than this one major fault, Moore's direction is rather nice. Additionally, the set design by James Morgan and especially the costumes by Linda Fisher combine perfectly to give the show the proper atmosphere (a combination nostalgia, cotton candy, and the occasional bit of uncertainty). Also quite good is the music direction of Mark Hartman.
The acting is very enjoyable with special mention going to Glover, who has an absolutely wonderful singing voice. Also good are Stephenson as the somewhat wild Sid, Parry as the gentle but firm family patriarch Nat, Eck as the earnest Richard; and Skeggs as the surprisingly levelheaded Muriel. However, while all these acting turns come across fondly, none of them really connect on a character level. It's a bit of a subtle difference, but it shows.
While Take Me Along never really comes together as other period musicals, The Irish Repertory Theatre has done ( After the Ball, Meet Me In St. Louis ), it is still quite an enjoyable piece. Whether it's worth a look depends on how introspective one is feeling before going to the theater. Also in the cast are Dewey Caddell, Noah Ruff, Justin Packard, and Anastasia Barzee.
Take Me Along
Presented by The Irish Repertory Theatre
132 West 22nd Street
Tickets: 212-727-2737 or www.irishrep.org
Running time: Two Hours, 10 Minutes
Closes: April 13, 2008 (subject to change)
Judd Hollander is the New York Correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
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