GOLDEN BOY: Encores Series Second Production for 2002
The final paragraph of The New York Times review of "Golden Boy," the Encores presentation recently seen at the City Center, suggested "...the urgent need to go buy a recording of the score." Do as the critic suggested, if you can find one. Indeed, the music is the shining light of this staged revival, a full-bodied combination of hustle, gospel, ballad, and grit. The show is based on a Clifford Odets' story of a poor young black man blessed with a physical gift for boxing, if not the heart, who rises from his meager beginnings to winning a pot of gold in the boxing world. The story motivated Charles Strouse and Lee Adams to write music and lyrics that are a truly a golden listening experience.
The question is: Can Joe Wellington be a happy camper with his newfound glory and a ton of money? Will buying a Ferrari be the penultimate reward or a prophetic symbol that all does not forever glitter in the precarious world of celebrity? Joe's family doesn't think the high life suits him. His white girlfriend (also the girlfriend of his manager) can't bring herself to share a life with him.
Alfonso Ribeiro had the daunting job of erasing the memory of Sammy Davis Jr. for those of us who saw the 1964 original production. He is not the dancer nor charismatic personality of his predecessor in the role, yet he was an engaging, convincing Joe - moving with grace through the demanding choreography, and dignity through the lines. His voice had the right touch of poignancy (if not the power) to diminish the memory of Mr. Davis and put his own mark on the role. Anastasia Barzee, as Lorna Moon, caught in the spell of Tom, (William McNulty) Joe's grasping and unlikable manager, cannot come to terms with her feelings for Joe.
Highlighting Act One, the stomping, strutting "Don't Forget 127th Street," a wonderfully staged song and dance number which serves as a reminder to Joe not to forget his roots. Wayne Cilento set some good down and dirty choreography for the show with lots of "Fossesque" moves (Cilento's background) that fit easily in the small stage. For this show the Coffee Club orchestra was spread out in a half circle across the stage, giving the illusion of a boxing ring and framing the last sequence - the big fight between Mr. Ribeiro and the dancing Kamar de los Reyes, the swaggering contender, with an ominous foreboding. When Lorna arrives on the scene Joe becomes infused with energy and lays flat his opponent, wins the title (an empty victory) and hops into the Ferrari. The end is effectively heard as an offstage crash.
In l964 the show caused a minor scandal with "the kiss" between Mr. Davis and his white co-star, Paula Wayne, as they sang the lovely ballad "I Want to be With You." In 2002, the kiss (lengthy and evocative in this revival) delivered less of a scandalous punch because the charisma between the compact Mr. Ribiero and the taller, less graceful Ms. Barzee was minimal. Ms. Barzee, fine on her own, Mr. Ribeiro, excellent on his own - together played a trifle bland.
However, the revival of "Golden Boy" was another example of how rich musical theater scores, buried for years, can be refueled for a new generation to appreciate. Another thank you is due the Encores series for their remarkable efforts. •