Drumbeats and Song

Tea and Empathy, the Drumbeats and Song production for 1956, is almost a small theatrical miracle. While it manages to be a sophisticated spoof of subjects ranging from modern poetry to Wall Street, it still remains a pleasant and friendly musical. And though the production has all the appealing high spirits of an amateur show, there is nothing amateurish about its music and staging. Fortunately too, just about all the actors make good use of their fine material.

Even the plot, which was written by Dori Schmidt, appears much less inane that those which inflict many musicals. The story deals with the antagonism between an esoteric poet, and a poet-hating female stock broker, and the somewhat hestitant romance between their children.

The music of Joel Mandelbaum acts as more than a bright decoration of the plot since the composer has a really brilliant sense for musical parodies. In the course of the show he spoofs English madrigals and Gilbert and Sullivan patter songs, with a small comment on Bach chorals thrown in between. His talent, however, is no less evident in some warm long songs and the music for the large production numbers. For these ballet scenes, Liz Keen contributes some amazingly expert choreography.

Most of the cast is as good as the other aspects of the production. Rosalind Froug, the stock broker, has an overwhelming stage presence and a pleasant singing voice. As the poet, Frederic Morehouse is at least adequate, though at times he is a little too jocular for an exalted writer, while Lee Jeffries and James Spiegler make an appealing romantic couple. And another couple, played by Betsy Nelson and Fred Mueller, is funny enough to stop the show. In addition, the direction of Hugh Fortmiller helps to make Tea and Empathy into a show at least as good as many professional musicals.