Photo Courtesy of Ashely Sayles
On the heels of fellow 1960s staple “Gypsy,” The Croswell has dusted off another old-fashioned Broadway favorite with “George M!,” and the two productions share more in common than I initially expected. Both are rooted in the world of vaudeville performers chasing the next rung of show business while trying to stay relevant in an industry constantly evolving around them. They also center on ambitious, morally complicated protagonists willing to blur the lines in pursuit of success.
Of course, George M. Cohan himself remains one of the most influential figures in American theatre history. Long before Broadway became what we know today, Cohan helped shape its identity as a playwright, composer, producer, director and performer, earning the nickname “The Man Who Owned Broadway.” It’s the kind of larger-than-life legacy that deserves a compelling stage biography, but Michael Stewart, John Pascal and Francine Pascal’s musical never quite digs beneath the legend. Instead, it delivers a serviceable, often affectionate portrait buoyed more by Cohan’s timeless music than by the book surrounding it.
Fortunately, those songs remain as infectious as ever. Classics like “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “Give My Regards to Broadway” still have plenty of life in them, especially when paired with Meghan C. Hakes’ energetic tap choreography and a committed ensemble under the direction of John MacNaughton and music director Ray Novak.
Unfortunately, opening night belonged less to the performers than to the technical difficulties surrounding them.
It was an unusually rough evening for a theatre that has consistently delivered polished productions over the years. The occasional microphone hiccup or missed lighting cue is part of live theatre, but “George M!” was plagued by an almost relentless series of technical setbacks that repeatedly interrupted its momentum. Projections failed to cooperate, scenery malfunctioned, and within the first ten minutes the performance had to be stopped altogether after a fly element came apart while descending. Just moments later, another scenic issue surfaced. Add in recurring sound problems throughout the evening, and what should have been a celebratory opening instead felt more like a final dress rehearsal fighting to find its footing.
None of that reflects the effort of the company itself. In fact, it highlighted just how professional the cast remained. Rather than letting the mishaps derail them, they regrouped every time, stayed in character and continued pushing forward with admirable determination. You could sense the frustration both onstage and in the audience, but you could also appreciate the resilience required to keep a live production moving under those circumstances.
Even without the technical interruptions, however, “George M!” has limitations built into its DNA. The musical celebrates Cohan’s accomplishments far more than it explores the man behind them. It races from milestone to milestone and song to song without ever fully examining his contradictions, flaws or personal relationships, leaving the central character feeling more like an American icon than a flesh-and-blood person. That ultimately limits the emotional impact, particularly for a performer tasked with carrying nearly every scene.
That burden falls on Will DuPuis, whose boundless energy becomes the production’s driving force. He sings, dances and rarely leaves the stage, tackling the role with enough charisma and stamina to keep the evening moving even when the material around him struggles. There are moments where you wish the script offered him greater emotional depth or sharper dramatic conflict because he clearly has the talent to explore it, but the musical rarely gives him that opportunity.
Steve Antalek, Michelle Force and Ana Morgan round out the Cohan family as the quartet journeys from humble vaudeville beginnings to Broadway success through productions like “Little Johnny Jones,” “Little Nellie Kelly” and several of Cohan’s famous revues. Together they establish an easy chemistry that sells the family’s shared ambition and makes their rise through show business genuinely enjoyable to watch.
As is often the case with “George M!,” the production is at its strongest whenever it stops worrying about the biography and simply embraces the spectacle. The large ensemble numbers deliver exactly the kind of old-fashioned Broadway entertainment audiences come expecting. “Yankee Doodle Dandy” earns its enthusiastic response, while the combination of “Over There” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag” stands as the evening’s biggest musical highlight. Pam Krage’s vibrant costume design only amplifies those moments, filling the stage with color and period flair.
Despite an opening night overshadowed by technical adversity, there is still plenty to admire in The Croswell’s latest production. The cast never stops fighting for the show, DuPuis anchors it with an impressively athletic lead performance, and the enduring appeal of Cohan’s music continues to shine through. Live theatre is unpredictable by nature, and sometimes that unpredictability becomes part of the story itself. Opening night may not have gone according to plan, but the determination of everyone involved proved every bit as memorable as the show they were trying to present.
GEORGE M! Continues through Sunday, July 19th at The Croswell Opera House. Tickets can be purchased here.