Divamensch

Richard, Susan, and I saw *I Married An Angel* at City Center Encores on 3/22/19. It’s a Rodgers and Hart show from 1937, most notable for the song “Spring Is Here” and for the fact that George Balanchine choreographed the title role for Vera Zorina, who he married during the run of the show.

 

The mission of Encores is to do a handful of performances of shows that (for whatever reason) wouldn’t sustain a full Broadway production, and this show certainly fit that model. It was cute, but I don’t think it was good. Sometimes you can understand why you’ve never heard of a show...

 

Sara Mearns danced beautifully as the angel, but was a little wooden with her dialogue. Max Baker was wonderful in the male lead, charming and he has an appealing voice. Nikki M. James, who Richard and I had liked so much in her Tony-winning role as Nabulungi in *The Book of Mormon,* wasn’t quite right. She didn’t quite have the right style, her singing was a little too overt and vigorous.

 

The two second bananas had just the right kind of razzle dazzle: Hayley Podschun and Phillip Atmore were the best thing in the show. But then I prefer tap to ballet, so it’s no surprise.

 

Here's a lovely recording of "Spring Is Here" by Julie London.  She is the greatest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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