Review: 'Give My Regards...' sets the bar high for what comes next

Roger Sims, Journal Staff
12 hours ago
3 min read

The chorus line performs a song-and-dance number in the opening moments of Prairie View's production of Give My Regards to Broadway on Friday, Nov. 14. (Photos by Roger Sims / Linn County Journal) — ***The chorus line performs a song-and-dance number in the opening moments of Prairie View's production of*** **Give My Regards to Broadway** ***on Friday, Nov. 14. (Photos by Roger Sims / Linn County Journal)***

By Roger Sims

It was obvious that the cast and crew worked long and hard (two-and-a-half months) to polish last week’s presentation of Give My Regards to Broadway, a musical written by Shubert Fendrich with music and lyrics by George M. Cohan.

The set was spare for the most part, just the back of a piano. With a company comprised of both middle- and high-school students, cast of nearly 30 actors and half again as many crew and lighting technicians, there was a lot that could go wrong.

***Mary Collins (Cecilia Brockway) and Dick Foster (Cash Lintner) sing a duet in the finale of the presentation.***

But the singing was on the mark, particularly the solos by Dick Foster (Cash Lintner) and Mary Collins (Cecilia Brockway). But it would be unfair to single only those two out because it would be difficult to find fault in any of the singers on the stage.

Again, the dancing by Legs Ruby and Trixie Sticks (Alex Raphael-Martin and Cali Hurt) was energetic and well-rehearsed. But to single them out wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the cast, including the members of the chorus line who kicked with as good a precision as you would find this side of the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.

On the hunt for a deadbeat bookie, Mugsy (James Schroff) is taken aback when one of the dancers, Legs Ruby (Alex Raphael-Martin) in disguise, embraces him. — ***On the hunt for a deadbeat bookie, Mugsy (James Schroff) is taken aback when one of the dancers, Legs Ruby (**Alex Raphael-Martin) in disguise, embraces him.***

Actors’ lines were delivered clearly (even though sound continues to be a problem in the Performing Arts Center) and cleanly, facial expressions matched the scene and there was no unnecessary movement as the lines were delivered.

The costumes were great, with clothes evoking the period of the ‘30s and ‘40s, nearly a century ago. So did the hair styles, which would have been common in pre-World War II America.

***The chorus line performed with Rockette precision.***

The student cast and crew did a great job, but kudos are also in order for director Austin Pixton, musical director and pianist James Beltz, choreography director Racquel Beltz, artistic director Jacqueline Beltz and Jeffrey and Penny Russell who coordinated operation of the arts center.

For those who sat in the front rows near the piano, the sign interpretation by Jasmine Velasco and Julianna Ladd was worth the price of admission alone. The two practiced the script for weeks before the performance and through their movements and facial expressions brought the musical to life even for those who couldn’t hear it.

***Jasmine Velasco, left, and Julianna Ladd provided sign interpretation throughout the performance.***

These performances were about as good as it gets for a large production high school musical. It was a pleasure to watch it unfold.

This article wasn’t intended to be a review of last week’s productions, but the audiences will remember Give My Regards to Broadway for a long time. It sets the bar high for whatever comes next.