Monday, November 9, 1998
Excutive actions
THEATER: A revival of Gershwin’s
musical satire ‘Of Thee I Sing’
presents political drama that parallels modern turmoil in the
White House
By Sam Toussi
Daily Bruin Contributor
It seems as though the investigation into President Clinton’s
relationship with Monica Lewinsky has been going on for 70 years.
In a way, it has.
This Wednesday, the Freud Playhouse at UCLA and Reprise
Productions feature George and Ira Gershwin’s Pulitzer
Prize-winning "Of Thee I Sing". The show will run until Nov. 22.
The show departs from the regular premises of musical theater by
delving into political satire.
"I have been told that this was the first political satire
musical ever done," says Gregory Harrison, who plays the lead
character of a presidential candidate. "Coincidentally, it involves
a young girl suing the President for breach of promise."
The coincidences found in "Of Thee I Sing" and the modern mess
in America are not lost on anybody. The play follows John P.
Wintergreen, whose only qualification to be president is his
presidential sounding name. His only idea for a party platform is
that he should marry the winner of a beauty pageant and end his
bachelorhood. Wintergreen tells the country that he will marry
whoever wins the "Miss White House" pageant.
But troubles ensue when Wintergreen falls in love with his
secretary, Mary Turner (Maureen McGovern), and the whole plan goes
out the window. Diana Deveraux (Heather Lee), the winner of the
contest, wants her prize, and she sues to get it. She even goes so
far as to say that she will have Wintergreen impeached. He is then
dragged before the Supreme Court to decide his fate and the press
engages in a feeding frenzy.
"It lampoons the pompousness of government and all its
pronouncements," McGovern says.
While the plot itself does not mirror the Clinton-Lewinsky
scandal, the mood of the country and the press that surrounds
Wintergreen is strangely similar to the frenzy that has surrounded
Clinton for almost a year now. Strange, because "Of Thee I Sing"
was written almost 70 years ago.
In interviews, the subject of the president’s scandal is
impossible to dismiss, and both Harrison and McGovern have strong
views about the issues at hand.
"I think he’s a very smart man," says McGovern, a staunch
Democrat. "He did something stupid, but I still believe in his
policies. That we’re to the point of impeachment is ludicrous."
Harrison has a view that is somewhat sympathetic to the
president also.
"It tells me more about America than it does about Clinton," he
says. "I think Clinton’s pretty typical of people in power today.
They tend to get corrupted by the proximity of temptation that’s
around them, but to impeach him for something like this …,"
Harrison says, shaking his head.
But the play has much more to offer than a simple correlation to
the Lewinsky scandal. Namely, it offers McGovern and Harrison in
its two lead roles.
McGovern is well known for being a Gershwin expert. She has
worked in numerous Gershwin events starting in 1987 when she took
part in the 50th anniversary of Gershwin’s death. The performances
took place at the Kennedy Center and the Brooklyn Academy of Music
and featured the likes of Bob Dylan and Leonard Bernstein.
McGovern undoubtedly has a love for Gershwin, but it stretches
back farther than her own career.
"I have had a passion for Gershwin ever since I was a kid,"
McGovern says. "I remember when the recordings for ‘Porgy and Bess’
came out when I was six or seven years old, and it just changed my
life."
McGovern has had so much success singing the works of Gershwin
that critic Clive Barnes went so far as to say, "McGovern can sing
Gershwin like Joan Suntherland can sing Donzietti."
"I’m not a classical singer, but I inhabit that world," McGovern
says. "I’m not a jazz singer, but I inhabit that world. Gershwin’s
a perfect composer for me to explore because of his background in
classic and jazz and musical theater and popular American
standards."
McGovern’s own successful career reflects such versatility. She
became known as "The Disaster Theme Queen" after singing the
Oscar-winning themes for "The Morning After" and "The Poseidon
Adventure." In the 1980s she found success in cabaret acts where
she was allowed to explore different styles. She also went on to
record her own album of Gershwin’s work.
Harrison heard the album and was impressed, like anyone who
hears McGovern’s voice  but he was more skeptical.
"She did a CD of this about 10 years ago, and I thought, ‘Of
course they cleaned this up in the studio. Nobody has a voice this
pure.’" Harrison says. "And I was dead wrong. It’s actually better
in person. She’s an amazing singer. She puts us all to shame. She
certainly puts me to shame."
McGovern is quick to disagree with her costar’s assessment.
"He’s wonderful," she says. "And a wonderful singer, too."
Together, the two head up a talented cast filled with many
familiar faces from film and television. Especially talented since
"Of Thee I Sing" was given only an eight-day rehearsal period, a
fact that scares and amazes both McGovern and Harrison.
"It’s astounding when you can put a show together this quickly,"
McGovern says. "We’re all sort of reeling at the moment (five days
before opening). It helps that everybody’s having such a great
time, and we all love the material.
"This is pretty scary, to come in and after eight days of
rehearsal perform an entire musical for paying customers," she
adds.
Harrison, who just returned from Hungary a few weeks ago, came
from his home in Oregon to do the play. Being away from the family
might have actually been beneficial for Harrison’s performance.
"You have to eliminate everything in your life," Harrison says.
"You have to create a situation where nothing else can have any
percentage of your attention."
THEATER: "Of Thee I Sing" opens Nov. 11 and runs through Nov.
22. at the Freud Playhouse at UCLA. Tickets can be purchased at CTO
at (310) 825-2101. Photos by CHARLES KUO/Daily Bruin
Gregory Harrison (sitting) is helped up by other cast members
during one of their scenes in the musical satire "Of Thee I
Sing."
Gregory Harrison and Maureen McGoven practice their duet during
the dress rehearsal in the Freud Playhouse.
The cast members of "Of Thee I Sing" practice during their dress
rehearsal at the Freud Playhouse.
Comments, feedback, problems?
© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]