Is it a love story or a cabaret act? Love, Linda is a combination of the two. Max & Louie Productions’ current offering brings us an interesting variation on what’s often referred to as the “And then I wrote…” genre. Linda Lee (her maiden name) Porter, a now-divorced Louisville belle, was married to Cole Porter. Both had some family money and she had acquired a fat sum in her divorce from her abusive husband. The upshot was a dazzling lifestyle even before Porter became the toast of Broadway, living in Paris, renting a palazzo on the Grand Canal in Venice and parties with titles, glitter and, of course, lots of entertainment.
Cole Porter, as some used to say, batted for both teams. He seemed mainly to prefer men, but it seems clear that she understood the situation and accepted it as long as she wasn’t displaced. The play emphasizes that she loved him almost unconditionally and, when they were on the verge of a divorce, returned to his side to she could take care of him after the horseback accident that nearly cost him his legs.
The story is interspersed with plenty of Porter tunes, both famous and obscure, the entire evening in the hands of Debbie Lennon as Linda. Even diehard Porter fans may well find something they’ve never heard before. Lennon’s voice is at its best with the bigger songs, the sort that Porter wrote for Ethel Merman, whose voice, said Porter, “was like a band going by.” Lennon is backed by Greg Schweizer on piano, Guy Cantonwine on bass and Kevin Gianino on drums. Whether Lee was the inspiration for Porter’s work, as she says, or not is pretty immaterial; in an age where women with money were expected to be decorative ornaments with a gift for hostessing, she carried out her duties with vigor, for the most part, even with Cole’s close personal friends who, she says, just “became part of our family.” To modern eyes, it’s not always a comfy story.
Teresa Doggett, costume designer, shines with the red coat in which Lennon makes her entrance, Dunsi Dai’s set manages to combine minimalism and Art Deco, and Patrick Huber’s lighting ties it all together. I’m not sure who came up with the hanging light fixture stage right, but an extra tip of the hat to them.
Ken Page directed this Cole Porter confection, an early Valentine’s Day present for the romantic, especially the sophisticated romantic.
Love, Linda
Max & Louie Productions
through January 27
The Marcelle
3310 Samuel Shepard Drive
Metrotix: 314 534-1111