Casino Paradise

hitting it big: The cast of the Prince's Casino Paradise sings and dances its way successfully through Bolcom and Weinstein's hard-luck story.

by David Anthony Fox

Casino Paradise, by the classy team of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer William Bolcom and lyricist Arnold Weinstein, beguiles and perplexes. In form, the show is somewhere between a musical and a chamber opera. In theme, it roams considerable territory, and just when you think it's one thing, it turns out to be another. In performance -- especially the Prince's excellent production -- the audience has a great time. In the aftermath, you may find yourself with as many questions as answers.

Casino tells the story of Fergeson, a wealthy developer who brings gambling to a previously unspoiled (also unnamed) American seaside resort (any resemblance to The Combover King is purely oh, never mind). The plan creates family strife: Stanley, Fergeson's idealistic son, is vehemently opposed, while Cis, the man-hungry mess of a daughter, seems to tacitly approve. As for the town's populace, they waffle: Initially angry about the casino, they are soon seduced by the prospect of a cash influx.

So far, the path seems clear: Bolcom and Weinstein are going where Weill and Brecht -- and closer to home, Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock -- has gone before. It's a political satire that denounces greed, and the charmingly edgy musical score also seems to honor those forebears.

By Act II, Casino is replete with reversals. Now Fergeson is convalescing from a heart attack, and in the care of a mysterious nurse. Stanley has gone off the deep end, and seems to be morphing into his dad. Cis is even more man-hungry than before. And the promise of riches has dried up.

By the show's end, the creators have shifted their focus. What began as a gently satirical homage to the political musical theater of the 1930s now targets the we-can-make-it-happen optimism of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It's a clever ploy -- and an ambitious one.

The problem is that Weinstein's book leaves too much unexplained. There's little or no character development, and even major plot points (who and what the nurse represents, for example) are unexplained. Too bad, because Weinstein's song lyrics are always delightful, as is Bolcom's music, which unerringly ranges from fragmented rags, to tangos and sambas, to full-fledged show-stoppers (the wonderful "Night, Make My Day").

Casino is superbly served at the Prince -- I simply can't imagine a better production. Martin Vidnovic brings a powerful baritone and a surprising degree of charm to Fergeson; Jason Danieley is superb as Stanley. It's touching to see Joan Morris again as the Nurse, re-creating a role she originated 10 years ago. Her voice is more fragile than before, but still hauntingly lovely. Direction by Lisa Peterson is fluent and elegant.

Casino Paradise - Through May 23, Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St., 215-569-9700

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