It’s risky unearthing an unknown work from a famous writer, like Frank Loesser’s Mexican musical “Senor Discretion Himself.” Some “lost” works deserve to stay that way. Others may be of interest only to scholars or obsessive fans.
Happily, none of this holds true for Arena Stage’s exuberant, mischievous production of Mr. Loesser’s lost 1968 musical. The show is given both corazon and cojones by director Charles Randolph-Wright (who did such an outstanding job with Mr. Loesser’s “Guys and Dolls” at Arena in 2000). The multiethnic cast is on fire. And the performance artists Culture Clash (Richard Montoya, Ricardo Salinas, Herbert Siguenza) inject the book with a shot of irreverence.
And then there are the songs — lilting melodies that crawl into your brain and linger, coupled with lyrics that manage to be both heartfelt and clever. Songs like “I Love Him, I Think,” “The Wisdom of the Heart” and “I Cannot Let You Go” find Mr. Loesser reaching new levels of emotional rawness and need. They sound like the work of a man who knows he is nearing the end and does not want anything urgent to go unexpressed.
On the other side of the peso are the songs with the trademark Loesser disdain for convention and pretension. “What Is Life?” sung by three avaricious priests (played with errant choirboy glee by Tony Chiroldes, Carlos Lopez, and Robert Almodovar), is anything but philosophical or spiritual. Instead, it’s a wildly pertinent ode to self-fulfillment that contains the cynical refrain, “What’s in it for me?”
There was an intoxication with language in the heyday of American musicals you rarely find anymore. Here, it is embodied in, among other numbers, “To See Her.” Hilario (John Bolton, who seems to be having a ball giving the character an oily macho bravado), a flashy newcomer to the town, sings of his untoward feelings toward the 15-year-old Lupita (Elena Shaddow), “The red lips glow, where just a kiss of bubble gum has been.” Could Vladimir Nabokov have created a finer “Lolita” moment?
The 300-page manuscript and 17-song score for “Senor Discretion Himself” was given to Mr. Randolph-Wright as a gift by Jo Sullivan Loesser, the composer’s widow, after she’d seen the directors’ “Guys and Dolls.”
The musical, based on a Budd Schulberg short story that appeared in Playboy magazine in 1966, is definitely a product of its era and would not pass muster with the politically correct police. While there are some aspects of “Senor Discretion” that uncomfortably hearken back to the old “My name is Jose Jimenez” skits on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” the musical has been given a rich ring of authenticity by Mr. Randolph-Wright, the largely Latino cast, and some cartoony comic flourishes by Culture Clash.
Culturally sensitive or not, the show certainly is a lot of fun. From the spiffy mariachi band, under the direction of Brian Cimmet, and the bold primary colors of Emilo Sosa’s ruffles-bedecked costumes to the strings of multicolored lights festooning the Fichandler, “Senor Discretion” celebrates and exploits all our preconceived notions of what is authentically Mexican.
For all the goofing and spoofing, there is a more resonant side to “Senor Discretion,” notably in the redemption of the town sot and main character, Pancito (Shawn Elliott), and in the thrilling love story between his youngest daughter Lupita and the bookworm schoolteacher Martin (Ivan Hernandez).
Pancito was once a prominent baker in town, but the death of his wife and his subsequent marriage to the tequila bottle have left his bread burnt and his soul extinguished. He lurches from one day to the next, relying heavily on his dutiful but resentful eldest daughter Carolina (the exquisite Margo Reymundo). Lupita, a combustible mixture of goofy teenage awkwardness and burgeoning sexuality, is eager to grow up and ensnare the heart of the schoolmaster Martin, who, in turn, wants to write the definitive tome on world peace.
The town needs to get shaken out of its torpor, and the catalyst for change comes from, of all people, Pancito, who is spurred by unexpected eloquence after he dictates a nasty letter to Hilario warning him what will happen if he goes anywhere near Lupita. The letter, which was tweaked by Martin, is deemed by the priests a miracle — a proof that the Virgin has come to Tepancingo. Suddenly, Pancito is not a slurring drunk anymore, but a man of great wisdom — everybody hangs on his every word, particularly Hilario, a flimflam man of hilariously epidemic proportions.
“Senor Discretion” starts off a bit uncertainly, gaining momentum as it goes on. The book is not as strong as the delightful music. The gorgeousness of the music spurs Mr. Randolph-Wright to create inspired set pieces, including a cinematic approach to the love song “I Love Him, I Think” that is unexpectedly poignant and shivery. It doesn’t hurt to have Miss Shaddow playing Lupita, since the actress has a voice that would give Patti LuPone a run for her money. She is ably matched by Mr. Hernandez, giving a touching tentativeness to the role of Martin.
The Day of the Dead sequence is eerie and festive and features Doreen Montalvo’s graceful, otherworldy turn as the powerful Curandera. The second act opens with a circus, complete with a breath-catching aerial act, just one example of Doriana Sanchez’s innovative choreography.
The level of passion and commitment exhibited by the cast runs feverishly high, starting with Mr. Elliott’s Pancito. He is the heart and conscience of the show, and Mr. Elliott’s tremulous command brings a Don Quixote-like nobility to the role.
In its current incarnation, “Senor Discretion” may not yet be up there with Mr. Loesser’s “Guys and Dolls” and “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” But it is a small and sweet show (to inflate it with Broadway glitz would be ruinous), its sweetness agreeably subverted by Mr. Loesser’s wicked wit.
***
WHAT: “Senor Discretion Himself,” music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Frank Loesser and Culture Clash
WHERE: Fichandler Theater, Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth Street SW, Washington
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays. Through May 23.
TICKETS: $42 to $60
PHONE: 202/488-3300
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