Dick Scanlan (Photo: Richard Termine)

Cockeyed Optimist: Where Hammerstein Found His Hope

By Deirdre Donovan

The Lyrics & Lyricists concert series at 92NY opened their 2024-2025 season with a tribute to the late-great Oscar Hammerstein II, titled Cockeyed Optimist: Where Hammerstein Found his Hope. Directed by Dick Scanlan, and co-written by Scanlan and Malcolm Gets, the performance was a delicious mélange of song and narration with Scanlan, not only stepping in as host and narrator, but overlaying both with the persnickety persona of Man in Chair from the meta-musical The Drowsy Chaperone.

Scanlan, incidentally, only performed as Man in Chair at the Monday evening performance, which I attended. (Those musical theater enthusiasts who went to the weekend performances saw actor Patrick Breen in the role of host.) Scanlan didn't disappoint as our tour guide through Hammerstein's life and work. His natural bent for comedy was in evidence from the get-go and carried him right through to the finale.

The five singers-Kerstin Anderson, Mikaela Bennett, Patrick Breen, Eddie Cooper, Omar Lopez-Cepero, and Katie Mariko Murray-infused fresh energy into Hammerstein's songs and at times even added mini-testimonials on what the songs meant to them. Some revealed their affection for specific songs at different times in their life; others noted how they sang a song when cast in this, or that, production. Yet there's no mistaking, underneath, all the singers are dyed-in-the-wool Hammerstein fans.

Act One was comprised of 13 numbers; and the more compact Act Two had only 8. The program's opening salvo was a medley of "A Hundred Million Miracles," "Impossible," "Sweet Thursday," and "All Kinds of People." As each song wafted over the footlights, many in this musically-savvy audience were softly joining in or smiling in recognition of the familiar tune.

The company of Cockeyed Optimist (Photo:  Richard Termine)

It's no accident that Hammerstein's collaborations with composer Richard Rodgers got the lion's share of attention: Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Flower Drum Song, and The Sound of Music were all well-represented in the program. And the good news is that each song proved it still had the stuff to bring us under its spell. "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin,'" sung by Omar Lopez-Cepero, revivified the glorious opener from Hammerstein's mega-hit Oklahoma! "What's the Use of Wond'rin'" crooned by Mikaela Bennett, perfectly captured the state of mind of the character Julie Jordan in Carousel as she achingly pondered over her relationship with her husband Billy Bigelow. "We Kiss in a Shadow," performed by the company, conjured up that episode in The King and I, in which a secret love affair between Tuptim, a Burmese slave, and Lun Tha, her lover, comes to light.

Scanlan pointed out that many of Hammerstein's songs have crossed over to the broader culture. Case in point. "Ol' Man River" from Show Boat, with music by Jerome Kern, is so mesmerizing that it's more than a show-stopper, it's a sacred slice of Americana (remember Paul Robeson singing it in the classic 1936 film version?)  Eddie Cooper, of course, did it more than justice in his solo, caressing the classic with his smooth vocal tone and warmth.

There were other numbers that were standouts. Lopez-Cepero infused "Soliloquy" with the heart-felt feelings of a father-to-be. "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," sung by the company, was charged with undiluted optimism. "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught," performed by Katie Mariko Murray, seemed a clarion call for tolerance, not only looking back to Hammerstein's day, but our present day.

There were innovative touches to some songs. For example, "The Stepsisters' Lament" from Cinderella had a gender reversal played by two men, pettily bickering and slicing the air with their fans.

Omar Lopez-Cepero, Eddie Cooper (Photo:  Richard Termine)

The creative team were on their toes. Kylee Loera and Brian Staton's projection design was chock-a-block with various photos and production memorabilia that gave us a timeline of Hammerstein's life and career. John Kelly's lighting effectively spotlighted the singers in duets and trios, solos, or company numbers. Richard Stafford's crisp choreography enlivened many a song.

The virtuoso musicians on stage, under the musical direction of Joey Chancey (who also played the piano), literally gave the program its rhythm and beat:  Jason May coaxed mellow sounds from his woodwinds; Christian Marrero cleanly delivered on the trumpet; Sylvia D'Avanzo brightened the air with her violin; Adele Stein held her own on the cello; and George Farmer grounded all with his bass.

The program memorably wrapped up with two familiar numbers: the first was "Edelweiss," which Scanlon affectionately dubbed Austria's national anthem before inviting the audience to sing along with the company; the second was a rousing rendition of the eponymous song from Oklahoma!

The Lyrics & Lyricists concert series, which debuted in 1970, continues to evolve, even as it maintains its original mission of fostering an appreciation for the history and craft of songwriting. "Cockeyed Optimist," its latest offering, was a two-hour nostalgic journey through Hammerstein's astonishing life and career. Those musical theater lovers who snagged a ticket to this event truly caught a wonderful taste of Old Broadway.

Lyrics and Lyricists At the 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan

For information on upcoming programs and events, visit www.92y.org

Running time:  2 hours with intermission