A cozy, old-fashioned, happy evening with "The Drunkard" at KTK

KTK Productions, that venerable community theatre company in south St. Louis, has opened a charming production of the old temperance pot-boiler, “The Drunkard.” The original play, by William H. Smith, opened in 1844 in Boston. P.T. Barnum produced it in New York. It became the most popular play in America—until it was surpassed by “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in 1853.

In 1964 it was adapted into a musical, with words and music by Barry Manilow. This is the version presented by KTK. It is co-directed by Jackie Aumer and Jim Wamser, and it is, I think, the most “community theatre” community-theatre production I’ve ever seen—and I don’t mean that slightingly. Yes, the cast shows a great range of skill-levels in acting, singing, dancing. Some are quite professional—others perhaps less so. And technically, with set, lights and costumes, we can’t escape the realization that we are not at the Fox—not at the Rep. But there’s an engaging offering of community—a welcoming of the audience into the warm friendship that has grown during the group effort that produced this show. It is a cozy, old-fashioned, happy evening—with free coffee and cookies!

The tale is a sort of alcohol-driven “Rake’s Progress.” In a rural village we meet the widow Wilson and her lovely daughter Mary. In financial straits, they fear the loss of their small cottage. Young Edward Middleton has inherited the property and the evil Lawyer Cribbs (“Booo! Hisss!) urges him to kick the poor Wilson’s out. But when Edward meets Mary it is love at first sight. They quickly wed, so the villain Cribbs loses the sales commission he’d hoped for. (“Curses! Foiled again!) Cribbs seeks revenge—by luring the pliable young Edward into the hellish world of Demon Rum.

Along the way we see Edward’s foster-brother William repeatedly making heroic efforts to save the poor drunkard. We meet William’s mad sister Agnes, who is entertainingly eccentric. We meet Carrie Nation, as she disrupts the saloon where Edward is dissipating. We meet Edward and Mary’s little girl, Julia. They’re in abject poverty. Mary is diligently ironing laundry, heedless of the fact that her ironing board is swinging back and forth as it’s balanced on the backs of two opposing rocking chairs. It’s a brilliant intrusion of comedy into this scene of pathos.

In the end Edward is saved from his life in a Bowery trash-can by the appearance of the Salvation Army. The family is reunited! Begone Demon Rum!

If anyone ever knew how to make a commercial song it’s Barry Manilow. Here he gives us sweet songs, fearful songs, rowdy songs, funny songs. Surprisingly, near the end of Act 2, there is a stunningly beautiful number—a reprise of the earlier “Something Good Will Happen Soon”. It begins as a sweet duet between mother and child, then becomes a trio, a quartet, and then a quintet as Edward, Cribbs, and William join in. It builds strong dramatic tension. It has an almost Mozartean beauty in the interplay of the different voices. Finally this beauty bursts into comedy as Mary’s mother pops in from her death-bed to shout for everybody to “SHUT UP!”

Fine accompaniment is provided throughout the evening by the indefatigable Music Director and pianist Kathy Doerr.

In the old tradition, during set changes, short scenes or vaudeville bits (“olios”) are performed in front of the act curtain.

Several in the cast are outstanding.

Carolyn Bergdolt is perfect as Mary. She’s slender and graceful and has a lovely sweet soprano voice. And (perhaps even more importantly) she doesn’t spoof the sentiment and pathos, but sincerely embraces it. You’ll weep for her.

Tiny Charley Ritter gives us an adorable little Julia—with upswept red pig-tails very much like Pippi Longstocking. She’s lively and supremely confident. (She’d be a hit as “Annie”.) She sings a delightful olio song about the pleasures of grass.

Laura Kyro (besides playing Carrie Nation) brings the house down with a belting glorious rendition of “Rockabye Your Baby”.

Good work is also done by Ray Martin as wicked Lawyer Cribbs, Emmit Rodgers as poor Edward, John McCreary as the heroic William, and Marie Moore as the widow Wilson. Jo Bennet has wonderful fun as the “maniac” Agnes.

Various supporting roles are played by Steve Clifton, Jane Abling, Jill Holtzmann, Katie Giblin, Tom Bell (whose voice as the Salvation Army captain has the power of Gabriel’s Trumpet), and Jim Kimker (who also does a spiffy tap-dance olio).

Technical and acting shortcomings are easily forgiven in such a warm-hearted show. But one serious flaw was apparent: too often the actors were mocking their own characters. One obvious example is the quite unnatural high-stepping prance that Mr. McCreary was directed to use as William, and which “sillied-up” his otherwise strong performance. Such mockery tells the audience, “Hey, I don’t take all this pathos seriously, so you, the audience, shouldn’t either.” To mock the character is a condescending thing to do; it is even unkind.

I really believe that even modern audiences are susceptible to melodramatic thrill and sentiment; that even while we laugh at the exaggeration we can share a catch in the throat and a misty eye at the prospect of the orphan in the storm, the impoverished widow, the return of the lost child. But to achieve this the production must be sincere. Each actor must be emotionally committed to his role. The laughter will follow, but more importantly the sentiment will follow too. And it can be a much more rewarding evening for audience and cast alike.

“The Drunkard” continues at St. John the Baptist through May 19. More information is available at the KTK web site.