The Taffetas

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Confession time!!!

Clockwise from top: Reyna Von Vett, Juliana Black, Melinda Dickson-Smart, and Elizabeth Welch in Denver Center Attractions’ production of The Taffetas. Photo by Terry Shapiro

I wasn’t sure I wanted to see The Taffetas one more time. I went on opening night holding my breath and somewhat dragging my heels. It’s not exactly the type of musical that entices the adrenalin to run at top speed.

I love surprises, and this production turned me upside down and sideways!!! In every respect it is splendiferous!!! The direction, staging, energy, blending of the voices, choreography, and the interpretation of the 1950s songs presented by Denver Center Attractions explodes with perfection from the moment the house lights go down and come up for the last time.

What would we do without answering machines and voice mail? They haven’t always been around as some suspect. Bell Laboratories and Western Electric created the first answering machine in the ’50s. Whatever would we do without sliced cheese? What if President Harry Truman took Albert Einstein’s warning against the Hydrogen bomb? Guys and Dolls opened on Broadway. Walt Disney’s Cinderella opened in the theaters across the country. Cake mixes now taken for granted were introduced by Pillsbury and General Mills, drawing looks of suspicion by mothers and grandmothers who thought real cakes had to be from scratch. Kraft introduced the packaged sliced process cheese, and some looked at that as not real cheese. Actually, some still do.

North Korea invaded South Korea and President Truman ordered the U.S. into the war. Strange how history repeats itself.

In the ’50s the remote control — so very much a part of our lives — couldn’t be lost in sofa pillows or carried off by the dog. Zenith introduced the “lazy bones” tuning device that had to be plugged into the television. The ’50s brought about the Hula Hoop, Barbie, Legos, Scrabble, the Bunny Hop, and even the horrific paint-by-number sets. Everything about the 1950s certainly wasn’t creative, helpful, useful, or fabulous.

Girl-singing groups sprouted like spring flowers all over the country.

The Taffetas, originally produced by Arthur Whitelaw and James Shellenberger in association with Select Entertainment, journeys through the fabulous fifties honoring girl groups such as The Maguire Sisters, The Fontaine Sisters and The Chordettes. It opened April 9, 1989 at New York’s Cherry Lane Theatre, running for 165 performances.

Because it is relatively inexpensive to produce, skillions of theatres added the musical to its schedule.

What sets the Garner Galleria’s production apart from the common fray is the zapping up of surprising fun pieces in the set, using original television commercials on two television sets with rounded screens, as they were, over against the square and rectangle screens prevalent today.

Topped off with the incredible cast including Juliana Black, Melinda Dickson-Smart, Reyna Von Vett, and Elizabeth Welch. Michelle Sergeeff and Shannan Steele are featured understudies.

Four sisters Cheryl (Black), Donna (Dickson-Smart), Kaye (Von Vett), and Peggy (Welch) grew up in Muncie, Indiana, began singing for local store openings, and now here they are appearing for the first time on national live television in New York. Just as the show begins, the girls learn Ed Sullivan is watching. If they’re good enough, Sullivan just may invite them to perform on his show. The teenagers are out of their minds with excitement that only teenage girls can produce.

With their opening number, “Life Is But A Dream,” they rock the house, and don’t quit until they announce they have to say good-bye. The last bus to Muncie leaves in 20 minutes.

In between songs and medleys, they chat with wide-eyed enthusiasm about life in Muncie, and with each other. Sibling competition plays a major part with all wanting to be front and center. The rivalry between the four is obviously serious, but expresses itself on a playful level, because these four come from a close knit family in the country’s heartland, and the sisters respect and admire each other on a deep level. That shows, but individually they still want to be front and center.

Under the direction and choreography of Ray Roderick, this production was conceived with vocal arrangements by Rick Lewis. Rather then the group standing in center stage to sing 45 songs, the Galleria stage is used to its maximum adding spit and fire to the production, along with the set designed by Lisa Orzolek.

On stage behind the girls plays one of the finest trios of musicians to be found anywhere with Lee Stametz, Musical director and Piano, Ian Hutchison, Bass, and Chris Lee, Drums. These three make the instruments not only stand up and talk, but also rock the house with the instruments speaking several languages; mainly the language of love.

Although the suburb cast of local actors toasts the girl groups of the ’50s, they own their characters giving new life to the oldie but goodie beloved songs that carry content with their lyrics having a distinct beginning and ending, specified rhythm, unique qualities along with a complicated musical score. Such songs as “Constantinople,” “Valere,” “Old Cape Cod,” “Tennessee Waltz,” “Allegheny Moon,” “Cry,” “Happy Wanderer,” and “Mockin’ Bird Hill” featuring Cheryl and Kay with Donna and Peggy making a surprise entrance as mocking birds.

With a fur cap and rifle, Donna rings the heart out of “Ricochet” until the stage right curtain opens revealing Kay, Peggy, and Cheryl in a down home country atmosphere including a wash board. The country spirit gets a kick in the pants, which it hasn’t gotten in a very long time.

Behind the curtain, the set changes frequently from a five and dime store holding shelves of stuffed animals for “How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?” to an ice cream parlor for Cheryl in a black leather jacket showcasing “Johnny Angel.”

Costumes designed by Jane L. Nelson-Rud add the ’50s spice to the visual feast with variety perfected.

Playing back and forth between the television cameras, the creative original commercials, the girls also sing “See The USA In Your Chevrolet” in a Chevrolet cut-out, and sing the praises of United Air Lines with an air plane cut-out. Hams Beer gets the Taffetas’ pointed attention along with the memorable Hams Beer commercial and that wonderful lovable bear.

Intriguing how far we have come technologically, and yet how far more and memorable those early commercials were with Oscar Meyers and Pepsodent Tooth Paste with their jingles tucked neatly away in the mind for those who were around then.

In between the songs, the girls share pieces of their lives, maintaining individual personalities, Donna likes classy convertibles no matter who is driving, Cheryl broke up with her boyfriend because another girl entered the picture, Peggy favors recipes, and Kay thrives on her diary reminding everyone that in spite of their differences, they do have one thing in common: boys.

For the benefit of the audience, the only element I would scrutinize and add would be a complete list of the songs in the program. That was mentioned more than once during intermission and after the show.

This production is so perfectly staged, costumed, and presented with four astonishing actor/singer/dancers, providing delightful enthralling entertainment, (and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that). This is one Taffetas production I wouldn’t mind seeing again. I thought I would never ever say that out loud, much less to myself. The Galleria took a tired old musical review, breathed vibrant life into it, creating something brand new, and exciting even grabbing the attention of the toes which can’t sit still for one second.

The Taffetas is scheduled to run through August 5, but it will be a major surprise if there isn’t demand for an extension.