Book and Score: Leo Schwartz. At: Pride Films and Plays at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St. Tickets: 800-838-3006 or www.pridefilmsandplays.com; $20-$30. Runs through Feb. 15
Ever wondered what shenanigans might ensue if a couple of missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints happened to ring the doorbell of a woman who may or may not be the iconic Broadway diva Ethel Merman?
If you're a diehard musical theater fan answering in the affirmative, then the world premiere musical The Book of Merman will probably be for you. But if you're on the fence about a show that sounds like a premise for a so-so Saturday Night Live sketch that overstays its welcome, then this musical by Leo Schwartz ( Under a Rainbow Flag ) for Pride Films and Plays unfortunately confirms those suspicions.
Schwartz clearly had a field day writing songs that ape the style and content of numbers originally made famous by Merman in Broadway classics like Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy. Schwartz also directly spoofs numbers from the 2011 Broadway smash The Book of Mormonso much so that you wonder if litigious lawyers representing Matt Stone, Trey Parker and Robert Lopez might show up at Mary's Attic at any moment.
Schwartz's song parodies are fun, but they're not enough to carry along his script that seems more interested in mocking Mormons' aversion to profanity than creating much palpable dramatic tension. Schwartz's characters are also underdeveloped and unbelievably lack self-awareness for the show's modern-day setting.
For instance, it's surprising that the more religiously inclined Elder Jacob Braithwaite ( Dan Gold ) doesn't immediately accuse Elder Aaron Schumer ( Sam Button-Harrison ) of harboring gay thoughts when he reveals his passion for all things musical theater and Merman. Schwartz also seems to tone down the well-documented crassness of the real-life Merman, who likely would have had little patience for being proselytized to by Mormon missionaries.
If the show as a whole is hard to swallow beyond an exercise in post-modern camp, it's largely not the fault of the performers or of music director Robert Ollis. Gold and Button-Harrison do an admirable job playing earnest missionaries.
Yet, Libby Lane as Merman starts at an immediate disadvantage since director David Zak felt it important to screen actual Merman performance clips before the show and at intermission ( no doubt as a refresher for audiences unfamiliar with the Broadway legend who passed away at the age of 76 in 1984 ). Compared to the real Merman on screen and possible other imitators incorporated into the show, Lane's performance is notably lacking in oversized brassiness and characteristic Merman vocal tics.
The Book of Merman is ideal for diehard musical theater fans who love Broadway song spoofs. But if you don't fall into that fan base, watching The Book of Merman will feel like you're not a member of the congregation.