'High Society' at Walnut Street Theatre (1st review)

Tracy Lord (Megan Nicole Arnoldy) is a spoiled heiress about to marry self-made millionaire and stuffed shirt George Kittredge (Jon Reinhold), when who should show up but yacht-builder ex-husband C.K. Dexter Haven (Paul Schaefer). Cue the complications. Dexter has brought with him two reporters, Macaulay “Mike” Connor (Ben Dibble) and Liz Imbrie (Jenny Lee Stern) from a paper whose editor is blackmailing the family over the father’s peccadillos, namely an exotic dancer. Cue even further complications.

The world of the play is not quite the same as today’s media-driven world in which what once would be shocking is taken for granted. In the world presented onstage, it was undoubtedly scandalous, even for the very rich, to go skinny-dipping in a private pool at midnight. Alcoholism and philandering were topics of amusement, and private lives were kept very private.

Definite déjà vu

One of the challenges of producing a play like this is to transcend memories of the original for those who have seen the earlier films with their iconic stars. The play began life on stage in 1939 as The Philadelphia Story, written by Philip Barry for Katharine Hepburn. She acquired the film rights to it (as a gift from Howard Hughes) and had it adapted for film under the same name in 1940 as a way to redeem her “box office poison” reputation. Her costars were Cary Grant and James Stewart, although it is said — if IMDb is to be believed — that she really wanted Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy to star with her.

In 1956, the property was turned into a musical film starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Celeste Holm with a score by Cole Porter. In its current incarnation as a stage musical, more Cole Porter songs have been added, while the story remains pretty much intact.

Keeping comparisons unodious

It would not be fair to compare current performers to their predecessors. Just as Grace Kelly, who sang barely a note in the musical version, made a very different Tracy Lord than Katharine Hepburn did, so Arnoldy claims her own in the role with a slightly modern twist, and a rather brassy voice that suits the character in search of an “understanding heart.” Ditto the rest of the performances, which came to life in the second act.

Schaefer, wearing clothing that didn’t seem quite right for the period or his physique, played C.K. Dexter Haven, in a softer, less secure manner than in previous versions, which got me wondering about what this character might really have been like. Cary Grant brought a comic persona to his romance with Hepburn, but 53-year-old Bing Crosby was frankly wrong as the romantic lead opposite then 26-year-old Grace Kelly in her last film before becoming a princess. He had the voice to carry the songs, but the relationship was both creepy and unbelievable. Schaefer’s interpretation makes more sense than the previous castings, even if it is unexpected.

But perhaps it doesn’t do to analyze this lighthearted romance too deeply. Just enjoy the songs, and drink some bubbly afterward.

To read another review by Steve Cohen, click here.