Destry Rides Again

Destry Rides Again, produced by 42 Street Moon theatre, is one of the best musicals I've seen this year. The production creates an absorbing world, remains consistently entertaining, and--most importantly-- does not fail at anything.

This last point might strike you as a backhanded compliment. It isn't: the number one problem with most musicals I've seen this year has been unevenness.

Sometimes you are presented with an absorbing story accompanied by unbearable music. Sometimes you get great voices and great live music, but no story line--or, what's worse, bad actors. Sometimes the music is pretty decent, the acting good, and the story entertaining, but the choreography is all over the place. The combinations for what can go wrong are endless.

Fortunately, Destry Rides Again has unity in all of its parts. The story of Tom Destry, an unconventionally mild-mannered cowboy in a perilous town, played with sincerity by Steve Rhyne, draws you in from the beginning. The music, which is well-executed all throughout, does not feel like a halt in the story, but as part of it. And the dance, though not great, is aptly presented in a tong in tongue-in-cheek way.

It is usually a good sign when out of a cast of 15 characters you can remember 7 or 8. This is partly due to the good adaptation by Leonard Gershe of Max Brand's original story (published in 1930). But it is also a result of director's Dianna Shuster's work at bringing to life a play that first was performed on Broadway in 1959.

The acting feels breezy and dynamic. Steve Rhyne is complemented on stage by Connie Champagne, who plays Frency, a good-hearted prostitute who finds herself involved with Kent, an evil outlaw played by Michael Cassidy.

It may be argued--to Connie Champagne's benefit--that the whole cast is really there to complement Frenchy and not so much Sheriff Destry. Her character is the most complex of the play. One does not know whether she is good or evil. She seems emotionally destitute and always on the verge of doing something dramatic, which adds tension to the story. Not to mention her singing voice, which is perfect for the part: feminine, strong, retro and romantic.

In Destry Rides Again, 42nd Street Moon Theatre maintains its successful approach (see Call Me Madam) of less is more. The company's purpose, as stated on their website, is to "make great musicals sing again" by finding forgotten classics and presenting them with minimal costumes and set decorations.

Destry Rides Again continues through Nov. 15 at The Eureka Theatre on 215 Jackson St. For more information visit the theater's website