BABY – music by David Shire, lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr, book by Sybille Ann Pearson, based on a story developed with Susan Yankowitz (Yellowsound Records).
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
For the last 40 years the musical of Baby has been with us, on and off, with new productions every so often of a show that goes through the motions, the agonies and the ecstasies of three couples each in their different ways experiencing the arrival of a baby. It originally opened on Broadway in November 1983 directed by the show’s lyricist Richard Maltby Jr with choreography by Wayne Cilento and ran for over 240 performances;
The original cast comprised Liz Callaway, Beth Fowler, Todd Graff, Catherine Cox, James Congdon and Martin Vidnovic. After Broadway Baby went on to have an updated staging at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey and this version was also seen at Sheffield Village, Ohio, and then later on with the Showbiz Theatre Company in Stockton, California. The show also went abroad to Australia, Manila and Brazil.
Apparently Baby was quite controversial first time around as nobody had used the intimate subject of childbirth for a musical show before. Also it covered the ways that a child can change a couple’s relationship, so that the show forces the actors into quite substantially emotional extremes. Things in life, however, have a habit of changing, along with other aspects of the theatre and what is now possible to present to an audience.
We have now reached a state of mind in life and in art too where nothing needs be concealed, or not spoken of, or not brought to our attention. Most taboo subjects are now out in the open for discussion by the majority of audiences, even though there may still be bigots lurking inside their own homemade closets until they can come out and see sense. With these thoughts in mind in 2019 Out of the Box Theatrics of New York presented the latest production of Baby Off-Broadway with several changes to the show’s personnel because after nearly 40 years life has moved on and so, they thought, the theatre should follow suit.
As the world has changed a lot even since the first production of Baby, Out of the Box Theatrics’ mission in life is to take a different look at classic musicals and, in a very positive way, bring them up to date. For instance and for the sake of inclusivity, they cast Liz Flemming, who is blind, as Lizzie, and Johnny Link, who is deaf, as Danny, which presents a whole new outlook on the two characters.
Additionally, and to make more sense of the situation, Julia Murney was cast as Arlene, the character who has a child later on in life, just as Julia’s own mother had experienced herself. And to boot, Alan (Robert H. Fowler) and Arlene are now a mixed race couple which in the theatre today (as in life) is so commonplace that it is hardly worth even mentioning. The major change, however, has been the inclusion of a same-sex couple, so that Pam (Christina Sajous) and Nicki (Gabrielle McClinton) are now lesbians played by two African-American women, a move that brings another huge slant to the plot involving fertilisation, sperm donors and the fact that the partner not carrying the child feels she is not part of the process.
Accommodating these extra layers meant the book had to be, to a certain extent, rewritten, unlike the gender swapping in the latest production of Sondheim’s Company which mostly needed just the change of a few pronouns. But, in effect, Baby is still the same show that it ever was, with little or no change to the music, just some updating tinkering making it something more of today.
As Baby is basically a song cycle, it is difficult to pinpoint any particular numbers as being outstanding because it really is all of a piece, a single piece that takes its audience on an emotional journey that can be appreciated by anyone. Even after 40 years the show still packs a hefty punch and there’s not a single song that doesn’t register on the familiarity scale – we can all sympathise with all these characters.
After the opening upbeat ensemble of ‘We Start Today’ Lizzie and Danny ask ‘What Could Be Better?’ and then there is a heartfelt plea by everyone in ‘Baby Baby Baby’ while the three women decide that collectively ‘I Want It All’. However, it might not be all that easy a ride to start a family so there are those ‘Fatherhood Blues’ which apparently bring nothing but happiness, or so it seems. Danny muses on ‘I Chose Right’ in a ballad about his relationship with his loved one.
If the songs seem sentimental, well, life has its moments of sentiment and the songs here cut through any false sentiments by way of the complexity of the lyrics that hardly ever proclaim that life is nothing but hard work and the bringing of a new being successfully into the world is the hardest part of all. Even ‘Romance’, differing versions of which keep recurring through the show, is placed under surveillance.
When many demands arise from wives and children it is, according to Alan, best to ignore them because it’s ‘Easier to Love’. Perhaps love means never having to answer awkward questions. What could be better than ‘Two People in Love’? Well, nobody would surely argue with that as it is something to be celebrated. With 24 numbers in total Baby covers all the bases right up to the finale, a reprise of ‘The Story Goes On’, ending on an anthemic note and, guess what – a child is born as we hear the distant but familiar cry of a Baby.
Congratulations should go to the whole cast and the ensemble of Jewell Noel, Jorge Donoso, Marisa Kirby and Ethan Paulini, who also directed the show. Conductor Geoffrey Ko, keyboards, was also the music supervisor with Adam Rothenberg, keyboards, Robin Macatangay, guitar, Rob Jost, bass, Justin Smith, violin, and Adele Storm, cello. The album, in a clear and resonant recording, was produced by Michael Croiter, Richard Maltby Jr and Geoffrey Ko. Five stars all round!
Michael Darvell
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