Paris (Lost Musicals)

This performance of Cole Porter’s 1928 musical Paris presented by Ian Marshall Fisher as the first of this year’s Lost Musicals provided a delightful Sunday afternoon diversion.

Founded in 1990, the Lost Musicals project presents lesser known works by many of the most popular and distinguished American musical theatre composers, lyricists and librettists of the early twentieth century and are ideal for completists, or those seeking some light entertainment (or both). Despite the fact that back-row seats for a show that is essentially a rehearsed reading performed with scripts and devoid of fancy costumes, scenery and props are not cheap at £21, I did not feel as if I had been short changed as the talent and energy on display more than compensated for lack of spectacle.

Paris was created as a star vehicle for Broadway producer and sometimes composer’s E. Ray Goetz’s new French bride Irène Bordoni and was originally offered to Goetz’s brother-in-law Irving Berlin, who gave it to his more suitable Francophile colleague Cole Porter. The plot is one of those bits of entertaining nonsense not dissimilar to a comedy of manners by Nancy Mitford or P.G. Wodehouse (complete with a pompous butler) that gently satirises American-French relations and their ultimate incompatibility. Architecture student and Boston socialite Andrew Sabbot, portrayed by Richard Dempsey (best known as Peter in the BBC’s Chronicles of Narnia), falls for showgirl Vivenne Rolland and wants to make her his wife. Vivienne will only settle down in domestic bliss in Massachusetts (pronounced Must-You-Choose-It) if his mother approves of her. Meanwhile, her leading man Guy, played by a charming, if slightly mature James Vaughn, has other ideas. 

I found it somewhat ironic that although the role written for Mrs Goetz, the hoofer with a heart of gold Vivienne (played here with great pizzazz by Sian Reeves- the only cast member in costume, wearing a gold fringed flapper frock), is great fun and gets to perform the Cole Porter standard and one of his craziest lyrics Let’s Do It with hilarious Gallic manic energy, the show really is stolen by her mother-in-law to be. Anne Reid’s performance as disapproving, teetotal, ultra-respectable Boston matron Cora Sabbot is a joy to behold as she humiliates her son by transforming into a woman of the world who stays out all night, bobs her hair and takes a toy boy (or two).

Would a full-scale revival of Paris, perhaps at the Open Air Theatre, work in 2010? Probably not. There isn’t really enough substance and the score isn’t nearly as full as Anything Goes. I think it is the way in which the musicals of this period are presented that should be adjusted to the times, rather than changing the pieces themselves. For those tired of huge spectacles with little heart, this production that relies only on the actors’ charms and passion for their work and the wit, music and lyrics of Cole Porter shows that small and simple really can be best.