Word: greasepainted
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This time Dolly's actin' like a happy pro-though things were rough at the start, what with all those changes. "In the beginning there was a lot of blood on the project" is how she tells it. Now it's all greasepaint. "Since I was 14 I've worn enough makeup to sink the Mayflower," she says. "Here I wear six wigs, 17 different costumes. The whole thing is sexy fun. I make a better whore than a secretary anyway. And Burt, he's so wonderful and I love him so good...
...Neill has been blessed with a strong complement of actors and singers in the lead roles, but only two have a crucial element that earns them special praise. Tom Uskali as the Pirate King rivals Groucho in his mastery of greasepaint-mustache manipulation but never descends to slapstick. Uskali's perpetual air of bemusement gives lines like "our revenge will be swift and terrible" a wonderful screwball appeal...
...embodiment of England's insensitive aristocracy--and his servant Cocky--the embodiment of England's righteous lower class--imagine their own metaphysical stage and act out society's cruelties in The Game. As Sir arbitrarily changes the rules, forcing Cocky to grovel for a loaf of bread, Greasepaint seems like a Romper Room production of some absurdist play. For the entire first act, The Game follows its repetitive course with Sir betraying poor, dim-witted Cocky's confidence again and again...
Kitty Kean, with powerful voice and striking presence, brings enormous energy to Sir. Her flamboyant gestures and comic intuition give freshness to a classic cardboard character. For most of Greasepaint, the pretentious Sir preaches honesty and fairplay to Cocky as he cheats him blind, tells Cocky he envies him but says behind his back "I wouldn't wish Cocky's existence on my worst enemy." After a couple of nasty quips and cruel tricks, Sir's character is set, leaving no surprises for the audience. But Kean never grows tired or tiresome, always finding a new inflection or expression just...
...their faces ache, they'll dance til they collapse, they'll be so sweet you'll contract diabetes. They just want the audience to like them and to have a good time; to remember that for all of Newley and Bricusse's delusions of grandeur, The Roar of the Greasepaint can still be simply enjoyed as an amusing musical comedy...