Friday, March 29, 2024

Inside Broadway Theater Review: Musical in Mufti’s ‘Subways Are for Sleeping’

SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING (Pictured: Are subways really for sleeping? Top row [left to right]: Beth Glover, Kilty Reidy, Karl Joseph Co, Gerry McIntrye, David Engel, Kathryn McCreary. Seated [left to right]: Eric William Morris, Alyse Alan Louis, Gina Milo, David Josefsberg). Photo credit: Ben Strothmann
*The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter’s series Musical in Mufti, a run of works produced in street clothes without the trappings of a full production, concludes its run on March 4 with a production of 1961’s “Subways Are for Sleeping.”

Celebrating the works of Broadway’s legendary composer Jules Styne, with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, “Subways Are for Sleeping” is an imaginative story suggested by the 1957 book of the same name by Edmund G. Love, who was homeless in New York City before he published his book of short stories.

 

SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING (Pictured left to right: Karl Joseph Co, David Josefsberg, Eric William Morris, Alyse Alan Louis, Kathryn McCreary, Gerry McIntrye, Photo Credit: Ben Strothmann)

“Subways Are for Sleeping” takes us on a lively romp through the lifestyles of a group of well-dressed homeless people sleeping in the New York City subway system. Styne acquired the dramatic rights to the book and collaborated with Comden and Green to bring humor and vibrancy to the story and musical score in a unique tale about people who exist before us in broad daylight but whose lives are often hidden.

The show opens with an overture of Styne’s score featuring David Hancock Turner on piano and George Farmer on bass, who set the tone for a ‘60s story set in the era of President John F. Kennedy and Camelot. Then, with rear-screen projection backdrops of sheet music scrolling merrily along, the male cast members appear slumped over in various positions as they sleep in a subway car. A police officer walks through, slapping a nightstick in her hand suggesting that it is time to move on. The men straighten up, tip their hats, and greet one another. Some of the men pull newspapers out of briefcases, acting as if they are commuters going to work. The busy bee charade of living a full life in New York City begins.

SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING (Pictured [left to right]: Kilty Reidy, Beth Glover, Karl Joseph Co, Kathryn McCreary, David Engel, Gerry McIntrye). Photo credit: Ben Strothmann
In Act One, the well-dressed men awakening to a new day sings the title song, “Subways Are for Sleeping” in marvelous harmony. Tom Bailey (Eric William Morris) Charlie (David Josefsberg) Bill (Karl Josef Co) Harry (Kilty Reidy) Gus (Jerry McIntyre) and J. Edward Sykes (David Engel) performed simple choreography that demonstrated their kinship. Tom is the focal point of these subway sleepers’ survival; he is the character with the connections. If someone needs a place to crash for the night or a job tip for the day, Tom is their guy. Morris has a soothing tenor voice, gentle nature, and great comedic timing. When he sings “I’m Just Taking My Time,” he is vulnerable yet strong. He portrays a man you can trust.

Angie McKay (Alyse Alan Louis), a reporter with Skyline magazine, is sent undercover to get the scoop on this underground society. Without guile, Angie has a precarious mission. The sweetness of her character is made known when she sings “Girls Like Me.” A strong soprano, Louis tempers her tones to capture the nostalgia of the time.

 

SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING (Pictured: Gina Milo – Photo Credit: Ben Strothmann)

Another key character is Martha Vale (Gina Milo), a bombshell grifter whose bill at a residential hotel is long overdue. Vale is no slouch, just a girl with big dreams, good instincts, and guts. Dressed in a bath towel for most of the show, Vale assumes management won’t throw her out if she isn’t fully clothed. Eventually, she has her full wardrobe smuggled out of the hotel. Milo is exceptional in her portrayal of Vale. She is statuesque, curvy, speaks with a Southern drawl, and sings with spice and sexy confidence that knocks men to their knees and makes women admire her. As Vale, Milo performs the showstopper “I Was a Shoo-In.” Milo has the right “coochie coo” factor as Vale, who seduces management, food delivery men, and Charlie (David Josefsberg) one of the subway sleepers, into doing her bidding. Josefsberg also delivered an outstanding performance as Charlie. After his friendship with Martha Vale blossoms into a courtship, Charlie steals the moment when he sings “I Just Can’t Wait.”

SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING (Pictured [left to right]: The Curtain Call – Karl Joseph Co, Kilty Reidy, Gerry McIntrye, David Engel, Eric William Morris, Alyse Alan Louis, David Josefsberg, Gina Milo, Beth Glover, Kathryn McCreary). Photo credit: Ben Strothmann
Meanwhile, Angie McKay has gained the trust of Tom Bailey. She finds that the subway sleepers are kind, respectable men who care for one another like family and the investigation starts to change her. As Angie spends more time with Tom, fond feelings begin to develop. When she decides she can’t take the deception any longer and quits her job at the magazine, her betrayal is exposed. Damaged feelings lead to a brief separation from Bailey; but hope is found when you least expect it, even on a subway.

“Subways Are for Sleeping” is a unique story and an outstanding musical, presented in this series by a terrifically talented and funny cast. It’s a perfect choice for staging at an intimate theater by The York Theatre Company, which has a twofold-mission: to develop new musical works and to rediscover musical gems from the past. “Subways Are for Sleeping” was a gem worth revisiting.

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