By Sandi Masori
SAN DIEGO — My friend Ami and I went to see Tootsie produced by Broadway San Diego at the San Diego Civic Theatre on Wednesday night. We had both seen the movie starring Jewish actor Dustin Hoffman back in the 1980s, so we really weren’t sure what to expect. How could they adapt it into a musical? If you’re familiar with the original story, then you may remember that it focuses on struggling actor and toxic male Michael Dorsey. In the movie, he pretends to be a woman to land a role on a soap, but in the musical, played by Drew Becker, he is trying to land a role in a musical. So, we get some musical numbers there. We also see the musical used as a way for the characters to communicate their inner thoughts and needs to us. The ensembles were lively and fun, though I don’t know if any of the tunes have “ear worm” potential. It was enjoyable all the same.
They managed to get in some fun pop culture references, like the best-friend character played by four-names actor Jared David Michael Grant, who questions Dorsey’s plan to audition as a woman in the me- too era when women are finally getting some recognition and respect, and also reminds him that he’ll be taking a 20% pay cut. There was also a moment in a song in the second half where they brought out two dresses, one white and gold and the other black and blue — a reference to a viral Facebook meme from a few years ago. So, there were several laugh-out-loud moments.
There did seem to be some audio issues in the first half, where the music seemed to overpower the singers and it was hard to understand the lyrics. That may have been fixed by the second half, or I might have just gotten used to it, I’m not sure.
The second half of the play was more fun than the first. I don’t know if the actors warmed to it, or if it’s just more lively, but the show really picked up the pace and energy in the second half. Actor Drew Becker did a great job as Dorsey playing Dorothy, but I had a hard time believing him as the toxic Dorsey. Perhaps this was because I had Dustin Hoffman’s deep-voiced character in my mind, and Becker is less baritone. Grant’s portrayal of the roommate/best friend was great and his facial expressions carried a lot of comedy.
I really enjoyed the way they built and used the sets. There was a background screen that gave the depth and feel of the city or park or whatever, but what I thought was really clever was the way they used large “closets” to become the scenery. When the doors were fully opened, they spanned the stage and became Michael and Jeff’s apartment. When they were closed they became part of the cityscape. It was a clever way to get multiple sets out of a compact system.
There wasn’t really much of a Jewish angle, other than Dustin Hoffman’s Jewishness. There was an agent and producer character who played their roles as somewhat Jewy, but it also could have just been their take on “New Yorker.” Whenever I go to plays, I look at the cast list to try to bagel them. For those of you not familiar with the term, it means I try to figure out who’s Jewish based on their last names. While this is never a good way to profile someone, only two names stood out as possible Jews to me — that of Steve Brustein who played the agent Stan Fields, and ensemble member Delaney Gold. They may or may not be Jewish, and of course it’s entirely possible that they are not Jewish but that Peyton Reilly who played Sandy Lester is. We may never know, but it’s fun to speculate as you wait for the lights to dim and the curtain to rise.
Back to the show at hand, Ami and I agreed that overall it was a fun show, with great comedic moments and a cute update of an aged story. I recommend checking it out while it’s running through April 17.
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Sandi Masori is a lifestyle reporter, self-publishing expert, mom, sushi connoisseur, and serial dieter. She’s currently on a hunt for the best huevos rancheros in town.