High Button Shoes

High Button ShoesScore 40%

Encores! High Button Shoes Follow the misad­ventures of two charismatic conmen—Harrison Floy (Michael Urie) and Mr. Pontdue (Kevin Chamberlin)—as they proceed to bamboozle Sara Longstreet (Betsy Wolfe) and her family—inciting a chase from New Brunswick, down the Jersey Shore, to Atlantic City.The cast also features Aidan Alberto (Stevie), Jennifer Allen (Shirley Simpkins), Carla Duren (Fran), Chester Gregory (Papa Longstreet), Mylinda Hull (Nancy), Marc Koeck (Oggle), Matt Loehr (Uncle Willy),and Wayne Pretlow (Elmer Simpkins). High Button Shoes was Jule Styne’s first Broadway hit and won Jerome Robbins his first Tony Award for choreography years before West Side Story and Gypsy (another Styne-Robbins collaboration). City Center’s stage has seen other iconic musicals by Jule Styne including Bells Are Ringing, Do Re Mi, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and, yes, Gypsy. The rarely-seen High Button Shoes, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn, blazed a path for them all and you don’t want to miss the final Encores! production of City Center’s 75th Anniversary Season. Directed by John Rando with music direction by Encores! Music Director Rob Berman and choreography by Sarah O’Gleby, High Button Shoes features hits like “Papa, Won’t You Dance with Me” and “On a Sunday by the Sea.” Two numbers—the dazzlingly comedic 10-minute ensemble piece, “Bathing Beauty Ballet,” and “I Still Get Jealous”—will use Jerome Robbins’s original choreography staged by Sarah O’Gleby. The 27-piece Encores! Orchestra performs Jule Styne’s original 1947 score, conducted by Encores! Music Director Rob Berman.

Score 40%
With High Button Shoes, Encores! celebrates the work of choreographer Jerome Robbins. Most of this takes place during one vivacious and hilarious silent-film-esque ballet sequence at the top of Act II. The rest of the show, even when given the Encores! polish, is only going to make you wonder whether it was worth coming for that one bit. Talented triple-threats and stars do their best, but the rest will either put you to sleep or make you drum your fingers.
See my complete review here.

High Button Shoes Music by Jule Styne, Lyrics by Sammy Cahn, Book by George Abbott and Stephen Longstreet, Directed by John Rando, Musical Direction by Rob Berman, Choreography by Sarah O’Gleby, Original Choreography by Jerome Robbins

WITH:  Michael Urie (Harrison Floy); Kevin Chamberlain (Mr. Pontdue); Betsy Wolfe (Sara Longstreet); Chester Gregory (Papa Longstreet); Aidan Alberto (Stevie); Jennifer Allen (Shirley Simpkins); Carla Duren (Fran); Mylinda Hull (Nancy); Marc Koeck (Oggle); Matt Loehr (Uncle Willy); Wayne Pretlow (Elmer Simpkins)

Ensemble: Ward Billeisen, Sam Bolen, Colin Cunliffe, Nicholas Cunningham, Taeler Elyse Cyrus, Christine DiGiallonardo, Michael Everett, Ta’Nika Gibson, Berklea Going, Marc A. Heitzman, Leah Horowitz, Cajai  Fellows Johnson, Robin Masella, Skye Mattox, Kaitlin Mesh, Justin Packard, Nathan Andrew Riley, Blakely Slaybaugh, George Slotin, Madison Stratton, and Shaun-Avery Williams.

Scenic Design by Allen Moyer; Costume Design by Ann Hould-Ward; Lighting Design by Ken Billington; Sound Design by Scott Lehrer; Hair & Makeup Design by Campbell Young Associates; Casting by Caparelliotis Casting; Press Representative, DKC/O&M; Company Manager, Lizbeth Cone; Production Stage Manager, Peter Lawrence

Runtime: 2 hr 15 min

High Button Shoes

 

Review

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High Button Shoes
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About The Author

Austin Yang

Austin Yang’s love for theater takes him all the way from his home in Taiwan to New York City, where he indulges it to his heart’s delight. In addition to watching, reviewing, and being involved in productions, Austin is also an undergraduate theatre minor at Fordham University (Rose Hill). He hopes to, through his writing, give back to theatre a little of the life it has given him.

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