Rose Levine in “The Show Must Go On”
By Dusty ~ Fun, frisky, fabulous and fantastic Rose Levine took to the stage at the Community House on July 10 for the grand opening of the new season, and delivered a stellar act from start to finish. Billed as “The Show Must Go On,” four talented performers completed the cast: Homecoming Queen Davida Jones, Jack Bartholet, Summer, Dale Lally, and Mark York the extraordinary musical director and director. Also among those on stage were casts of extras including: Anita Auricchio, Toni Cesta, Doreen Rallo, Diane Romano, Joan Van Ness and Peggy Ryan.Cherry Grove Arts Project President Panzi greeted the audience by saying, “The best way to start our season is with Rose Levine, she always sells out!” Next, the vibrant Davida walked down the aisle and set the tone for what would be a truly theatrical and decadent evening.Rose opened with an energetic rendition of “I Feel a Song Comin’ On,” segueing seamlessly into “Sun in the Morning and Moon at Night” and “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries.”In a white, formal tuxedo jacket and all legs, Rose hopped on the piano and sang her famous “I Love a Piano.” Mark accompanied Rose with effortless timing.Summer then sang “Someone to Watch Over Me,” followed by Rose and Davida singing “Together Again” and a witty “Johnny One Note.” Rose came off stage and over to Michael for a kiss while singing, “You Do Something To Me” and “I Like The Likes of You.”Jack sang a solo of “Lida Rose,” then Rose stepped in from stage right and they both sang together in pitch-perfect harmony.Curtain up and Rose sang “I Got Lost in His Arms,” then a Jerry Herman classic, “Hundred’s of Girls,” featuring the glamorous girls and Rose.The second act opened with “The Show Must Go On,” written by Mark and performed by Summer and Jack. Each of them shared a quick story about how Rose through the years had encountered problems with some performances, but always “The Show Must Go On.”Rose sang the classics “What a Day This Has Been” and a comical “Nobody Does it Like Me.” Davida sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/Home,” then Jack belted out “Sing Happy.”An absolute scream of a performance was the Davida and Rose washerwoman skit. Both dressed like maids with mops in hand they sang “Class.” The curtain came up again with Rose as Mazeppa on a walker with a horn, Dale in the wheelchair as Tessie Tura and Davida as Electra with a cane and light bulbs in all the naughty places singing, “Gotta Get a Gimmick” from “Gypsy.”Summer sang “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” followed by Rose singing “Fifty Percent” and “I Asked You Here Tonight,” ending with a great finale of the entire cast singing, “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” Finally we were treated to Rose’s encore solo, “Lucky Day!”Rose Levine without fail had her audience captivated. The slick choreography and standout classic songs, accompanied by a talented piano player and guest performances, was an absolute treat.
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