Like the 1954 MGM musical of the same name, starring Jane Powell and Howard Keel, the stage adaptation of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" unfolds in Oregon territory circa 1850.
Allison Narver's lively direction makes the most of the talented cast. Every last one of them sings, dances and acts with an inexhaustible supply of enthusiasm and energy.
While Michael Kidd's sensational choreography drove the film's success, the same can be said of the stage production. Choreographer Patti Colombo borrows some of Kidd's signature moves and adds a few of her own for the stage musical's dynamic dancing. There are tumbles, cartwheels, flying leaps and acrobatics galore, along with foot-stomping lifts and flurry of swirling petticoats.
Taking inspiration from Stephen Vincent Benet's "The Sobbin' Women," the musical's book by Lawrence Kasha and David S. Landat tells the tale of Adam Pontipee, a macho mountain hunk who heads down into town for supplies and a wife. He wants someone to cook and clean for him and his six younger brothers.
Loaded with backwoods testosterone, Adam woos and weds a local lass in less than a day. For Milly Braden, it's love at first sight--she's swept away by his manly mountain charm. For Adam, one girl's as good as any other--you set a trap for them, like you would a bear-although it doesn't hurt that Milly's easy on the eyes.
Adam neglects to tell his smitten bride about the six strapping Pontipees waiting at home. So once Milly arrives at his rustic log cabin, he discovers she's just as sassy as she is sweet, with enough vinegar to tame any backwoods beast. First up, his brothers.
Adam's slovenly siblings may have biblical names, but they're social misfits who would rather fight than bathe.
Milly sets about instructing them in proper etiquette so they can woo brides of their own. She even teaches them to dance. Just in time for the Harvest social, so they can compete with the "town" yokels for a fighting chance to court the local chits.
Fighting is just what happens when a townie punches at Adam. One thing leads to another, and soon all six brothers are moping around with calico on their brains.
After reading about the Romans kidnapping the Sabine women, Adam proposes a copycat version of those "Sobbin' Women." Why not sneak into town and abduct his brothers' intended sweethearts?
Needless to say, the outraged townsfolk give chase, but a Pontipee-induced avalanche postpones any acts of vengeance until spring. So a furious Milly must deal with the girls' histrionics and the brothers' raging hormones, as well as her own troubled marriage.
Edward Watts and Laura Griffiths seem well-matched as Adam and Milly. While Jane Powell was a more operatic Milly, Griffiths is a Broadway belter whose gutsy soprano soars through the theater. She captures your heart with "Wonderful, Wonderful Day." As Adam, the rugged Watts shows off his powerful bass-baritone on the rousing Act One opener, "Bless Your Beautiful Hide." Unfortunately, his Act Two solo "Where Were You?" rambles on and on like a "Les Miz" wannabe.
Sound amplification can also be a problem. At times, the women's voices sound metallic and shrill, while the men's sound strained, as if their gonads were being squeezed. This "indoors" dilemma diminishes the "outdoors" ambience of this backwoods saga.
The score mixes six of the film's original songs by Johnny Mercer and Gene De Paul, with new songs by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn. Mercer and DePaul's tunes are lively and lovely, but not the most memorable of the Mercer songbook. The new numbers are mostly forgettable, with the exception of "Love Never Goes Away."
But it doesn't matter. Dancing drives this production. Milly's tutoring session with the brothers endows "Goin' Courtin'" with unrestrained gusto. The future brides and their mountain beaus cavort as they serenade the onset of "Spring, Spring, Spring."
But the hands-down showstopper is "The Challenge Dance," when the mountain clan flirts with the town girls and takes on their fancy-pants admirers. It's like a high-octane mix of "Dancing with the Stars" and a "Hootenanny" hoedown.
Although all the brothers and brides are terrific performers, Mo Brady stands out as Gideon, the youngest sibling. His gawky naïveté gets plenty of laughs--Gideon's idea of boy-girl conversation is "Nice night for a coon hunt." And Shanna Marie Palmer gets her own set of laughs as ready-and-willing Sarah.
Anna Louizos' set design exudes Northwest appeal, including a log cabin with a smoking chimney. Lush green trees slide across the stage during scene changes, backed by a painted vista of snow-capped mountains and tall sturdy trees.
Unlike the film, you won't see any live animals onstage, except for the Pontipee brothers. But you will see a sleigh and a simulated avalanche. Most of all, you will see marvelous dancing and singing by a rip-roarin' cast. And of course, a very happy ending.
"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" runs Tuesday to Sunday through Dec. 28 at 5th Avenue Theatre, tickets $22-$81, 206-625-1900.
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