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      July 30, 1999

      THEATER REVIEW

'The Great Debate': Darwinian Monkeyshines Much Sung and Danced
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      By ANITA GATES

     There is no reason in the world that creationists shouldn't
     tap-dance. They may, however, want to look for a better vehicle
     than "The Great Debate," a well-intentioned but dreadful and
     self-congratulatory anti-evolution musical at the Lamb's Theater.

     Mona Johnian, a Massachusetts composer and lyricist, has written
     something that could have been a nicely done little church
     production, but it doesn't belong on a professional stage. When
     Adam (Tom Schmid) is feeling sick at heart at the end of Act I
     (he's confused by all this talk of apes and science and natural
     selection), Eva (Jamie Collins) says, sounding like the host of a
     television show for preschool children: "Then come with me. We need
     to make a house call to a very wise gentleman." In Act II, we see
     her take Adam to see Job (Benjamin Spierman), who will show him
     what sick at heart really is.

     As an actress, choreographer and dancer, Ms. Collins has great
     hair. She has choreographed as many dance styles as could possibly
     be crammed into a one-hour and 45-minute show, and they all look
     like parodies of themselves. Some of her work resembles a musical
     number from "The Brady Bunch Movie," which, as you'll recall, is
     already a parody; in one song, the cast seems to be doing the
     Supremes' hand gestures to "Stop in the Name of Love"; a couple of
     dances appear to be a 12-year-old's idea of Isadora Duncan modern,
     and at one point Satan (Danny Gilroy) tries to do a little slinky
     Bob Fosse. In all these variations, the dancers raise their arms a
     lot. And no one enjoys Ms. Collins's choreography more than Ms.
     Collins (take it down a notch, Cassie), especially when she appears
     to imitate a would-be child star auditioning her little heart out.

     There is one rousing number in which the dancing works beautifully.
     But then it's the hora, just as it's done at every Jewish wedding,
     and Ms. Collins can't take credit for that.

     The lyrics aren't much better, running to the treacly, like "Time
     is a beautiful gift of love." And despite the show's title, there
     isn't really any debate. Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin and
     Clarence Darrow are simply presented as arrogant idiots, laughing
     when asked if they believe in God and speaking and singing lines
     like "Several times a day I bow to the god of intellect." As
     Einstein, Joel Liestman manages a touching moment at the end of one
     song, musing quietly, "But I cannot say where love comes from -- or
     beauty -- or desire." This is quite a feat, since he has clearly
     been directed to behave like a doddering old fool. "The Great
     Debate" could have used many more thoughtful moments like that.

     Thank goodness there are a few bright spots. Ms. Collins has a good
     singing voice. Schmid has a nice voice, too, and a pleasant stage
     presence. And it's possible that Chaundra Cameron, the one black
     cast member (her character is called the Ethiopian and exists only
     to be saved by white missionaries), has a truly thrilling voice.
     But she only had a few solo lines, so it was hard to tell.

     "The Great Debate," directed by Patty Freeman, continues Thursdays
     through Sundays until Aug. 15.
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