Broadway Review: Dames at Sea

An Ocean of Dancing Doesn’t Wash Away Not Having a Bernadette Peters

By Lauren Yarger
Written as a parody of Busby-Berkeley grad Gold Digger musicals from the 1920s, Dames at Sea saw a life half a decade ago Off Broadway starring then newcomer Bernadette Peters.

It never had a Broadway run until now – and there probably is a reason.  It needs Bernadette Peters – or someone like her who has the ability to pull off a silly, over-the-top kind of role. The current production, starring Eloise Kropp Ruby, a girl who arrives in New York and steps into her first Broadway musical – a la 42^nd Street – falls short. Kropp is well meaning, but doesn’t have enough oomph to pull it off. It’s not her fault. The silliness of plot (book by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller, who also write the lyrics) requires a big name for a Broadway run. It’s that simple.

This doesn’t mean the show isn’t entertaining, however. It is. As long as you throw that plot right out the window and sit back to enjoy the dancing, choreographed by Randy Skinner, who also directs.

Ruby, fresh off the bus from Utah, does about a 30-second audition and lands her first Broadway role in Dames at Sea, starring diva Mona Kent (Lesli Margherita). She’s offered a pace to stay by castmate Joan (Mara Davi) so what more could a starving showgirl want? Oh, wait for it  – romance! Enter handsome sailor/wannabe-songwriter Dick (Cary Tedder) who takes her for a sandwich after returning the bag she left behind on the bus. Voila! They fall in love! There’s even a subplot of romance between Joan and former beau Lucky (Danny Gardner), Dick’s best friend.

But wait. Mona casts her lustful eyes in Dick’s direction and trouble ensues. Will Dick and Ruby make it in spite of Mona’s manipulations?

The tides turn against everyone, however, when Director Hennessey (John Bolton) announces that the theater where Dames at Sea is playing is scheduled for demolition. Can Dick and Lucky convince their captain to host the show aboard their ship? Think Busby Berkeley and you’ll have some idea of how this turns out.

The music by Jim Wise is mainly a vehicle for some big old fashioned dance numbers with lots of tap (remember, it’s not about taking anything too seriously – like songs called “Choo-Choo Honeymoon,” “That  Mister Man of Mine” and “The Sailor of My Dreams.” Anna Louizos designs fun sets to accommodate the cheesy plot (including a wrecking ball that disturbs rehearsal….)

It’s an entertaining, if not totally satisfying two hours and 10 minutes at the theater. The most impressive part is the illusion, created by Skinner and the relatively small ensemble (rounded out by Tessa Grady, Kristie Kerwin, Ian Knauer and Kevin Worley, that there is a full chorus singing and dancing up on stage.

Dames at Sea make waves at the Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 West 44^th St., NYC. Performances are Tuesday through Thursday at 7 pm; Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; Wednesday and Saturday at 2 pm; Sunday at 3 pm; Check schedule changes for holiday weeks. Tickets are $67 - $154.50: (800) 432-7250; damesatseabroadway.com.

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