By Carol Davis
SOLANA BEACH, California — In 1937 George and Ira Gershwin wrote the score for the movie Shall We Dance. Included in the score was the classic “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”… no they can’t. Ira, of course wrote the lyrics and George the music. Together they would go on to write 68 Broadway Musicals and joined forces on scores more. That’s the way it went even if the name George comes to mind first and even if it’s the ‘melody (that) lingers on’, the lyrics were penned by Ira.
George and Ira Gershwin were the yin and yang of the famous brother duo act as the left hand always seemed to understand what the right hand was doing; they forever complimented each other’s work throughout their entire careers. Some of the lyrics are whimsical as when Ira, who claims to have been fascinated by Tchaikovsky, throws up a challenge to any vocalist that can speed through “Tchaikovsky (and Other Composers)”.
You try speeding through names the likes of Rubenstein, Arensky and Tchaikovsky, Sapelnikoff, Dimitrieff Tscherepnin, Kryjnowsky, Godowsky, Arteiboucheff, Moniuszko, Akimienko, Solovieff, Prokoffieff, Tiomkin, Korestchenko, and finally ending with Rumshinsky and Rachmaninoff. The best time set for that little tongue twister was by Danny Kaye in 39 seconds.
The brothers Gershwin had been collaborating since 1924 starting with their first Broadway show, Lady Be Good and continued throughout their illustrious careers until older brother George died at the age of 38 in 1937 of an inoperable brain tumor. Everything in between and then some is the focus of Joseph Vass’ work, Words By-Ira Gershwin and the Great American Songbook now being given a pleasant but rather pedestrian airing at the North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach.
The story is told through words and music with a twosome of singers (whose performances are at best uneven) and a hot four-piece jazz band that accompanies the Crooner (Andrew Ableson) and Chanteuse (Meghan Andrews) and in some cases Nichols Mongiardo-Cooper who is Ira Gershwin’s alter ego. Mongiardo-Cooper narrates the story filling in the gaps and letting us in on the how, where, why and when many of the pieces that came to being and together, did so. The band with Playwright, Music Director, Pianist Joseph Vass, Gunnar Biggs on Bass, Bob Boss on Guitar and Duncan Moore on Drums is excellent oft times outshining (but in no way drowning out) the vocalists.
Family tidbits and other incidentals, on a need to know basis, are thrown into the mix. At times the storyteller is an onlooker and other times an active participant. It’s not as confusing as it may seem, as the flow of the work is very transitional under the watchful eye of David Ellenstein’s direction. Mongiardo-Cooper is very easy and confident as he steps into any number of Ira’s personalities.
It’s almost overwhelming to hear all that these two brothers had accomplished, especially during the time George lived. Ira collaborated with Dubose Heyward writing the lyrics to George’s music for Porgy And Bess with the classics that feature “Bess, You Is My Woman Now”, “It Ain’t Necessarily So”, and “I Got Plenty O’ Nuthin’”. One might have difficulty believing the1935 opera Porgy and Bess is theirs as well, since most of their works now fit into what are being labeled as the golden age of American popular song; American classical music.
But consider these memorable tunes as a small sampling of what they accomplished: “Fascinating Rhythm”, “Someone To Watch Over Me”, “Strike Up The Band”, “A Foggy Day”, “Embraceable You”, “Of Thee I Sing”, (Ira, along with George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind won the first Pulitzer Prize ever for book and lyrics for this show in 1931), “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off”. After George’s death Ira collaborated with Kurt Weill with “Lady In The Dark”, Jerome Kern, “Long Ago And Far Away”, and Harold Arlen “The Man That Got Away” from A Star is Born.
There is no denying that Ira’s (Israel Gershowitz) story is indeed fascinating, but one wonders if this maverick musical is the right format or if the format is right but the performers are not. On some level it reminded me of Hershey Felder’s bookend piece on brother George seen some years ago in his one-man show Hershey Felder as George Gershwin Alone. His piece compliments Words By to some degree, and while both brothers deserve their own page out of the songbook of musical history Felder’s format is more appealing.
Marty Burnett’s set features three very large picture frames filled with (what else) words that are the lyricist’s trademark. Off to one side are an easy chair, lamp and table with scratch pad and pencil. Mongiardo-Cooper uses this location as his anchor. Alina Bokovikova’s costume designs, especially for the Chanteuse might have had a bit more style and pizzazz and Matthew Novotny’s lighting design is top notch.
The first major hit for the Gershwin Brothers was “I’ll Build A Stairway to Paradise” in 1922. Indeed they did as their music and lyrics are still among the top oldies but goodies. If you want to take a trip down memory lane and hear music from the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, then this will be a show you will enjoy.
See you at the theatre.
Dates: Through Nov. 18th
Organization: North Coast Repertory Theatre
Phone: 858-481-1055
Production Type: Musical Revue
Where: 987 Lamas Santa Fe Dr. Solana Beach, CA
Ticket Prices: $40.00-$57.00
Web: northcoastrep.org
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Davis is a San Diego-based theatre critic. She may be contacted at donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com