Anything Can Happen in the Theater: The Musical World of Maury Yeston: A Most Fitting Tribute 

       By Joseph Cervelli

Maury Yeston is a treasure as a composer. His music is melodious and his lyrics are wonderfully clever and pertinent to whatever show he is writing for. They weave in so beautifully with the storyline. Take his scintillating score for the sumptuous "Nine" and his equally sparkling one for the dark "Grand Hotel."

A retrospect of his work is being presented in the delightful revue "Anything Can Happen in the Theater: The Musical World of Maury Yeston" by The York Theater Company at St. Peter's. There might be two mishaps along the way, but for the most part it is a very loving tribute. The young cast of five Benjamin Eakeley, Jovan E'Sean, Alex Getlin, Justin Keyes and Mamie Parris give their all to each of the numbers and do well in conveying the emotional range of each of their respective numbers. The show is conceived and directed by that whiz of the "Forbidden Broadway" series Gerard Alessandrini.


Some of the songs will be quite familiar to theater buffs of Yeston's shows. Eakely tackles the deeply emotional and difficult song to sing "Love Can't Happen" from "Grand Hotel." He gives it his all and pulls it off admirably.  He also charms with the more lighthearted number from "Nine "Only With You."

While Mamie Parris does a magnificent rendition of "Unusual Way" also from “Nine" making it feel very fresh (and I must say I have heard many renditions of this song) she is, unfortunately, caught in two less than successful numbers. "A Call From the Vatican" falls flat despite all she puts into it. One can simply not forget the original production with Anita Morris singing it in her indomitable sexy manner with that unforgettable body suit nor in the revival in which  Jane Krawkowski being lowered onto the stage upside down. So, unless Alessandrini devised it in a more creative way it becomes mundane. Also, the not very good "Cinema Italiano" which was in the lacklustre film version of "Nine" featuring both E'Sean and Keyes as back up dancers With Parris singing  goes nowhere as choreographed by Gerry McIntyre. McIntyre's choreography is much better in the  rousing "The Mardi Gras Ball" from "The Queen of Basin Street."

E'Sean sings the wistful "I Had a Dream About You" beautifully with just the right amount of melancholy. Hard to make me forget Betty Buckley version, but he comes mighty close. He also casts a graceful spell on "Mississippi Moon" a song I have never heard before.

Justin Keyes displays a keen sense of slightly wicked humor in his "Salt n' Pepper" also an unfamiliar number to me. Filled with double entendres he makes the most of it. His duo with E'Sean "You're There Too" from the lesser known "In the Beginning"  is sweetly staged.''

Alex Getlin has a gorgeous voice and sings one of my favorite Yeston compositions "Danglin" about the end of a  love affair. You can feel the heartbreak in every word as Getlin stands perfectly still drawing every emotion from it.  She does equally well on the haunting "Strange" which I have heard for the first time.

The show has a fitting ending with two beautiful numbers from his Tony Award winning musical "Titanic."

For a nice respite from some blockbuster musicals currently on the scene give this small but big hearted show a try.

Tickets are available at the York Theatre@Saint Peter's Citicorp Building 619 Lexington Avenue.

PHOTO CREDIT: THE YORK THEATRE COMPANY