Review: And The World Goes ‘Round

By DAVE MOSIER

The 2024-25 season of the Van Wert Civic Theatre starts this weekend with a tuneful revue featuring the songs of John Kander and Fred Ebb, the Tony-winning songwriting duo behind such Broadway smash hits as Cabaret, Chicago, and Kiss of the Spider Woman.

The revue’s And the World Goes ‘Round title comes from a song Kander and Ebb wrote for Liza Minelli to sing in the movie New York, New York (“But The World Goes ‘Round). The revue, which opened on March 18, 1991, was conceived by longtime Kander and Ebb collaborators Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman and David Thompson.

While “And The World” features mostly music from Kander and Ebb’s lesser-known musicals – The Happy Time, The Rink, The Act, Flora The Red Menace, and what was then a work-in-progress, Kiss of the Spider Woman – the collection of 30 or so songs is well worth a listen, and range from witty comic numbers to poignant love songs. The musical, however, does end on very familiar notes with full-cast production numbers of “Cabaret” and “New York, New York.”

Director Jerry Zimmerman and Music Director Kara Place have put together a strong cast of singers that includes veterans Kristin Lee, Nancy and John Shuffle, Roger Rex, and Amy Boley (as well as Zimmerman himself), and talented VWCT relative newcomers Terri Spencer, Hannah Davis, and Anna Cassidy (new to VWCT), who do a great job of showcasing Kander and Ebb’s music.

Although I hadn’t heard a number of the songs — some of which go back a few decades — I was captivated by the cast’s ability to make the music seem like it had been written last week. The revue consists of a variety of musical formats — duets, solos, trios, and big production numbers – and each of the cast members, whether veteran or less experienced, was up to the task of making the music come alive on stage, where it counts.

From bittersweet love songs such as “The Grass is Always Greener” to the comedy of “Sara Lee” and the jazzy pizzazz of “All That Jazz”, the notes were sweet, the harmonies were spot on, and the choreography by Zimmerman, Lee, and Danielle Siefker was always appropriate to the music it enhanced.

The singers also had great support from the orchestra: Dee Fisher (keyboards), Jane Stevens (reeds), Stacee Brown (bass), Elijah Kuszmaul and Sarah Waters on drums, and Place on trumpet and synthesizer, which provided the underpinning that allowed the various voices to shine through.

The stage setting constructed by VWCT veterans Keith Allen and Chad Kraner was simple, but flexible enough to allow for a number of different “looks” throughout the show.

Costumes were great, ranging from streetwear and comedic costumes to glam sequined numbers for the production songs, and sound and light design were excellent. The cast even took a few spins around the stage on roller skates provided by Grove Skateland for the song, “The Rink” – and nobody fell.

For those with an evening to spare, And the World Goes ‘Round is well worth sparing an evening for.

There are seven performances left of the show, including this weekend and Thursday through Sunday the weekend of September 26-29. Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m., while Sunday matinees start at 2 p.m. Tickets are $16 and can be reserved by calling 419.238.9689 or online at www.vwct.org.