Enter Tony Brockhurst, a poor but good-natured delivery boy of women’s dresses. The attraction between Polly and Tony is instant. As are a couple of ladylike lies, as Polly quickly pretends to be the head mistress’s assistant rather than one of the school’s rich debutante students. After all, she wants him to love her for herself – not for her money.

What results is a highly cheesy, highly predictable, and highly fun little musical from the 1920s that is buoyed by a cast of seasoned actors who have benefited over the years from recently retired (now guest director) Barry Bosworth, not to mention plenty of great dancing creatively choreographed by Chrissy Burns.

The cast is led by Sarah Vincelett as Polly – an extremely talented young actress in all phases from dancing to singing to her remarkable sense of comedy and timing. And who also already has quite a bit of experience in this type of role, last year starring in Youth Summerstock as Ruby in Dames at Sea and the summer before as Nanette in No, No Nanette. She and the always-entertaining Derek Maples as Delivery Boy Tony have a natural stage chemistry and play off each other perfectly from the start when they sing, dance, and charm each other in I Could be Happy With You.

Marla Worm and Brandon Pohl are terrific as the amusing co-couple to Polly and Tony, with Marla wanting to play the field awhile yet, and Brandon trying to get her to settle down with him. They also team up to entertain and distract us during a big and noisy set change behind them that we’re not supposed to notice, but that we obviously will. Playing off that is Brandon’s carefully veiled message to Marla, “It’s pretty loud, so we’ll have to be loud.” They pull it off very humorously.

Elsewhere, elderly couple Percival Browne (Jarryd Davis) and the always well-dressed (even on the beach) Madame Dubonnet (Aimee Dotts) share some great scenes as they, too, fall in love in Fancy Forgetting. Amanda Schorr is a riot as the disdainful maid with her condemning expressions and saucy posturing. Nick Duffield is a hoot as the dirty old man who has a thing for young debutantes (whenever he thinks his disapproving wife (Corie Bales) is not around). Those “fine young ladies” of the finishing school are divertingly giggly and melodramatic. Michelle Routhieaux and Lance Odom perform an impressive and sizzling tango. And the entire ensemble delivers in the big dance numbers Sur la Plage and on the French Riviera.

Rob Hopper
National Arts Digest

Performances: May 1 - May 17, 2003