Review: Village's 'Gypsy' lays on songs, shtick

Performance review |

A look-alike prince and pauper, a runaway bride, a scheming palace villain, some sexy courtesans, a preposterous denouement ... are there any standard farce motifs not to be found in "The Gypsy King," the world-premiere musical comedy at Village Theatre?

Written and composed by former Seattleite Randy Rogel (who "conceived and created" the show with Kirby Ward), "The Gypsy King" gleefully, shamelessly borrows from classic and cracked fairy tales, Mel Brooks movies, Shakespeare farces, Broadway and animated film romps. (Note: Rogel is a noted writer of animated flicks.)

The show had an earlier tryout in the Village Originals series, and its official debut is delivered with zing and gusto by a nimble cast, under the skilled direction of Richard Gray. And it's gussied up with swell costumes and sets.

But too much shtick can spoil the comic stew. And in the overstuffed first act, some jests land while others splat. And while Rogel's score sports a nice rooty-toot Old Broadway/cartoony feel and some very clever lyrics, there's not much melodic variety or originality to distinguish the songs.

With patience, you can still have a pretty good time at "Gypsy King" — thanks to the better gags, the action-packed Act 2 and the hearty performances of just about everyone involved.

The terrific jester-in-chief Eric Ankrim does double duty here (a la Danny Kaye in "The Court Jester"). He's Alphonse, the spoiled, bratty prince of a make-believe kingdom. And he's Frederick, a lovable but poor actor-shnook who (rather like Kevin Kline in the film "Dave") is pressed into impersonating his royal double.

Ankrim (a grand Peter Pan last year, at Seattle Children's Theatre) switch-hits between identities with ease. He dances smartly, sings attractively (especially in the recurring "I Want a Place"), woos well. Whether lording it over Alphonse's subjects, or sword-dueling with himself, he's a joy.

Stylishly malignant as the lip-smacking usurper Sergei, Richard Ziman makes a worthy nemesis, relishing his Captain Hook-ish ditties (i.e., "Be An Actor," "The Plot").

And in the (undernourished) ingénue role, Katherine Strohmaier glows as Frederick's spunky, golden-voiced love interest, Princess Anisette. (She definitely deserves a solo song of her own.)

Handily filling the "second couple" slot: delightful Joanne Klein as court wisecracker-in-chief Marie, and John Patrick Lowrie as Frederick's folksy dad. (Their chipper "Marriage" number recalls the Rodgers-Hart fave "I Wish I Were in Love Again.")

So given all the talent on hand, the spiffiness of Jeffrey Cook's castle set and Karen Ledger's splashy costumes, and Kathryn Van Meter's cute dances, why isn't this a rave?

Well, there's that so-so score. But the main shortcoming is that lumpy first act, slowed down by misfiring quips, lugubrious repartee and sluggish plot devices.

Keep the truly amusing stuff, shed the rest. And "Gypsy King" could be a tastier dish to set before a crowd.

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com

Information in this article, originally published March 22, 2010, was corrected the same day. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Randy Rogel's name. We regret the error.