Bees Knees has many great moments

by Meghan D'Souza

ITAC - Sometimes, I leave a show wishing I could capture certain scenes and stick them in individual music boxes for me to open and enjoy at my leisure.

That's not creepy.

It is a compliment. The Bee's Knees and Then Some was a great show that held those very moments. First, allow me to summarize the show.

It was set in 1932 in Tennessee during the Depression. The play was performed vaudeville-style, so the set was simple with intricate theater curtains painted on walls lining the stage, two worn white cafe chairs and a matching table, and two wooden chairs on either side of the stage for the performers to pull onto the set as needed. At the back of the stage, Music Director and pianist Bradley Fritz, referred to as Mittens McGhee, sat as a constant, donned in a black vest and top hat, just as you would expect to see if you walked in to a 1930s show.

The first half of the show mainly involved an actual story. Cora Cornsilk, portrayed by the humorous and captivating Meg Merkens, discovered that her niece Connie Cornsilk, played by the expressive Jenna Vik, had had a falling out with her dopey boyfriend Harry Haystack, the talented Alex Shockley. Upon hearing this news, Cora decides it is up to her to bring the couple together. The audience is entertained with jokes, dancing and singing while Cora tricks the couple into meeting up and using what she sees as sage advice. She tells Harry to beg for Cora's hand in marriage by sundown, even though he is terrified that Cora will agree. She advises Cora to resist any romantic words Harry utters, even a marriage proposal. "Turn real cold, like a frog's behind on a frozen pond," she advises.

Does her advice bring them together for a happy ever after? Or do Cora's well-meaning words make everything go awry? Silly reader, you have to go to the show to find that out.

Before intermission, the audience is treated to well-done slapstick skits, dancing from the Charleston era that includes a hands-free cartwheel by the tall glass of water named Ian Zahren, and a magic act.

I was having fun and that was only the beginning. My favorite parts came after intermission.

The following is what I would have liked to grab and place in a music box to enjoy over and over:

* Chuck Cooper, Marshall Nielsen, and Russell Sanderfeld serenaded the audience with "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue." Like fingers intertwining when a couple holds hands, the voices of these gentlemen absolutely melded together and accepted nothing less than our adoration.

* The stage darkened, with a single spotlight in the center on Jenna Vik, dressed in a black flapper dress, a long white pearl necklace, and black headpiece with a white feather placed in the front. It felt as though she sang with genuine love, from her heart, through her voice, to our hearts. The best way to describe her singing is to imagine what the most beautiful butterfly fluttering through wild flowers in a prairie would sound like if it could leave music in its wake.

* While the whole show was wonderful, I felt that Ian Zahren had the biggest presence, though he wasn't seen much until after intermission. I would first make a music box of his first song and jazz dance number that was done after intermission. After carrying Bradley Fritz out as though he were a mannequin and setting him up at the piano, he performed a solo for us that took me to a whole new place, entirely. That's how huge his presence is. When Zahren is on stage, you want to watch or you fear you will miss something.

* Which brings me to my fourth music box. Zahren and Vik performed a beautiful dance together. Earlier, the whole cast had done a fascinating swing dance routine. This dance was more romantic, a combination of jazz and ballet with Zahren doing fouettes, grand jete, and, basically, I'm saying he spun a lot, jumped elegantly and high, and combined the two. His dancing was impeccable and Vik was beautiful as his partner.

I have never been to a vaudeville-style play. I did not know to expect a variety show sort of experience, but I absolutely recommend this performance. As Meg Merkens says at the beginning, as her character Cora, "Laughter and singing are good for the soul." Their purpose was to get everyone laughing and they did that and left us in awe.