Those who lived through the 1970s will nod familiarly at most of the lines and lyrics in "I Love My Wife." Those too young to remember will understand why certain styles, certain moments, certain memories will bring goofy looks to their parents' faces. Once an on-target look at a decade, now proudly carrying a patina of age, the New Line Theatre production opened last night to run through Oct. 23 at the Washington U. South Campus Theatre, once CBC High School.
There are times when it seems very dated, but it's an accurate view–and spoof–of an era that generated a movie called ":Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice," that still was enjoying the drug culture and sexual freedom that started in the 1960s. Sparked by Michael Stewart's clever and pointed book and lyrics, Cy Coleman's score, Gene Saks' Tony-winning direction and a talented cast that earned several Tony awards and went on to even greater acclaim, it ran on Broadway for two years.
The tale of a husband's desire to join the sexual revolution he fears has begun without him, using his friend's wife to help him get up to date, is bright and tuneful, well-paced under Scott Miller's on-point direction. Wally (Jeffrey M. Wright) is married to Monica (Sarah Armstrong), but he'd sure like to experiment. Cleo (Emily Berry), cute and voluptuous under a terrible blonde wig, is a handy target, but she's married to Alvin (Todd Schaefer, who also designed the set, dominated–of course–by a large bed).
(Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg)
Besides the two couples, the cast includes a mock Greek chorus, two moving men and a bartender (Troy Turnipseed, Joel Hackbarth and Zachary Allen Farmer), and they are splendid, advancing the action, giving advice, moving furniture and displaying wonderful ability to deal with the complex lyrics and rhyme schemes Stewart has created. Several numbers reflect the "patter songs" of W. S. Gilbert (of Gilbert and Sullivan fame); others are bright with the internal rhymes of Cole Porter and Frank Loesser.
The script is filled with double entendres and bawdy allusions and the actors show good timing. Armstrong is especially effective when she becomes the last to discover what the after-dinner entertainment will be on Christmas Eve, and throws what could probably best be described as a hissy-fit. It's powerful, and it's fun.
Justin Smolik led the band from the piano, with Sue Goldford on keyboard, Dave Hall on bass, Michael Mason on guitar and banjo and Clancy Newell on percussion.
All in all, the evening is enjoyable. The acting was fine and while the singers had a few minor slip-ups, all went well. For theater and theater history buffs, young Lenny Baker (Alvin) won a Tony while the show itself, Coleman and Stewart were nominees. Joanna Gleason made her Broadway debut as Monica and James Naughton was one of the wonderful trio. She later won a Tony for "Into the Woods" and he won for "City of Angels."
I Love My Wife, a production of New Line Theatre, runs through Oct. 23 at the Washington University South Campus Theatre
—Joe