Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, played by Luke Hunt, right, spars with Spike O Malley, played by Billy Myers, during the Plaza Theatre Company s production of The Happiest Millionaire, playing Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through May 12 at the Plaza Theatre in Cleburne. (Ginny Rodgers)
What’s unusual about “The Happiest Millionaire,” the latest production of the Plaza Theatre Company, is that it could have been a musical comedy, a staple of the troupe, but PTC chose to disregard the singing and focus on the dialogue and the acting.
And while I miss the singing and dancing, what “Millionaire” provides is an evening’s entertainment you can bank on.
If you’re familiar with the 1967 Walt Disney movie by the same name — the last one produced by Walt himself before his death — you know the story includes 12 songs, something PTC delivers with outstanding voices accompanied by clever choreography and costumes.
But not this time. After I finally accepted the fact
Tabitha Barrus as Cordelia Biddle, comforts her boyfriend, Angier Duke, played by David Phillips, during the Plaza Theatre Company s production of The Happiest Millionaire, playing Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through May 12 at the Plaza Theatre in Cleburne. (Ginny Rodgers)
that the butler was not going to break out in song — a brief disappointment because he’s played by Andrew Guzman, who can sing — and a masked hero would not be swinging down from a hidden chandelier, I started to concentrate on the dialogue and follow the story.
Oh wait, there is this alligator. Just watch out and you’ll see.
To my surprise, once it gets going, any musical number would have ruined it.
Stepping in to the lead parts are PTC veterans Luke Hunt, the Joshua-area resident who teaches at Alvarado Junior High, and Tabitha Barrus, the Travis Academy of Fine Arts senior who, little by little, takes on more challenging roles as she prepares to head off to Utah State University to pursue a degree in theatre arts.
Hunt is Anthony J. Drexel Biddle and Barrus is his daughter, Cordelia, or “Cordy.” They’re supported by family members Stacey Greenawalt King as Biddle’s wife Emma, Jeff Loy as son Livingston, Burleson’s Daniel Robinson as son Tony, and Alvarado’s Katie Wood in a part double cast with JoAnn Gracey as Biddle’s mother.
In the process of becoming family are David Phillips as Angier Duke and Tonya Laree in an over-the-top and down right funny turn as Mrs. Benjamin Duke of the tobacco fortune.
Alvarado’s Devlin Pollock plays Joe Mancuso, a Penn State quarterback welcomed into the home.
Plaza favorite Trich Zaitoon plays Aunt Mary Drexel, one of those people who always cut right to the core with advice and witticisms.
The story takes place from September 1916 to June 1917 in the Philadelphia home of real life Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, who spread Christianity through boxing and kept alligators in the house.
Be sure and read the Director’s Notes in the front of the playbill before the show starts for helpful background information about Biddle.
The story by Kyle Crichon is based on the book “My Philadelphia Father,” a memoir by Cordelia, the character played by Barrus.
It’s a busy house. The patriarch Biddle takes phone calls, gives orders and spars with his two sons (Loy and Robinson) and Cordy, who can whip them all except dad.
Feeling like she is being brought up to be a prizefighter, Cordy goes to college, meets Angier Duke (Phillips) and brings him home.
Cordy and Angier plan to wed, although the news at first infuriates Biddle. The biggest challenge for the young lovers will be meeting the other’s parents. Biddle purposely intimidates Angier, but the young man wins over his future father-in-law by taking him to the mat with jujitsu.
The smoke thickens when tobacco baroness Duke ( Laree) arrives and is not impressed with Biddle or Philadelphia, which pales in comparison to her beloved New York. When her family and wealthy friends do not receive wedding invitations because Biddle forgot to mail them, the wedding is almost called off.
The acting is good and has to be. The dialogue requires precise timing from everyone on stage, and they nail it. Someone is always saying something and it’s always important to the plot.
Soon, you realize what you’re watching is a refreshing change from the usual PTC production, and it works.
Directed by Taffy Geisel, with another simple yet clever and functional set designed by JaceSon Barrus, and costumes that-also-tell-a-story designed by Kara Barrus, “Millionaire” almost has as much going on off stage as on, thanks to some creative sound design by G. Aaron Siler, all under the stage management of Crystal Todd.
Even the boxing scenes are realistic, thanks to the coaching of Southwestern Adventist University math and physical science professor Murray Cox.
This is a good one. Do yourself a favor and see “The Happiest Millionaire,” playing at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Saturdays through May 12 at the Plaza Theatre, 111 S. Main St., in Cleburne.
Tickets — $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and over and high school or college students, and $12 for youth age 12 and under — are available 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday at the Plaza box office, by phone at 817-202-0600, or online at www.plaza-theatre.com.