starring
Megan McGinnis as Jerusha Abbott
and
Robert Adelman Hancock as "Daddy Long Legs"
or alternatively, Jervis Pendleton
My sisters and I are each other's best dates. We have exactly the same tastes in music and entertainment, and there's hardly ever a disagreement about what to see on the weekends. Along with my precocious niece, Natasha, we happily hang out together at the movies, the theater and an occasional dance studio, any chance we get. Last Thursday, we saw Daddy Long Legs at La Mirada Theatre and were all blown away. It was that good!
I've observed during my few times there that the La Mirada crowd seemed to be more sedate than viewers at other venues. At the Daddy Long Legs performance, the rows in front of us were filled with white-haired folks who metered out polite applause after each scene, but never enthusiastic ovation. The gentleman that sat to the left of us was quietly slipping away in slumber not even 10 minutes into the show. It looked to me he was dragged to the theater by his wife, who must be a more ardent musical fan. Poor guy!
I have a friend who told me the reason she disliked musicals was because she couldn't help feeling disconcerted seeing the actors suddenly break out in song and dance after their dialogues. It seemed somehow unnatural to her. I guess I could see her point, myself harboring a strong distaste for Bollywood movies and the Vietnamese theater form of "cai luong" for exactly the same reason. But in my mind, musicals were exempted from this rule, and I warmed up to them quickly after seeing my first, which fortunately happened to be one of my all-time favorites, Les Misérables. To me, musicals are sort of like sushi, an acquired taste (though I have not learned to like sushi and moved past the safe California roll)... the more you're exposed to them, the more you'll grow to appreciate them. I used to feel the same way about operas that some people feel about musicals; I thought them overwrought and difficult to follow. After seeing Madame Butterfly, I softened my view a bit, but haven't turned into a fan. There's still hope for me yet!
Getting back to the subject of this post, Daddy Long Legs. I've seen a fair number of musicals, but none so intense! The plot revolved around one main character that never, ever left the stage. The set was incredibly sparse; there were only a couple slight changes between scenes. So the engagingness and success of the musical squarely rested upon the principal's shoulders – Megan McGinnis. The reviewers are absolutely right... she sings like a nightingale! Robert Adelman Hancock, who played the male lead (actually the only male with a physical presence in the show, since it was a 2-character musical) wasn't shabby, either. But I liked him best when he harmonized with McGinnis. Their voices blended together perfectly, without a single mismatched note from the beginning to the end!
Can you imagine flawlessly speaking quick-paced dialogues and belting out demanding tunes nonstop for more than an hour in the first set without losing concentration or freshness? With such a taxing role, McGinnis had to sneak quick sips of water in the shadows frequently when the spotlight wasn't on her, which wasn't that often. Hancock did the same, but it was less obvious, since the particulars of his role had him sitting at a desk facing the library wall with his back to the audience for a good part of the show.
Storyline:
Jerusha Abbott (McGinnis) was raised in an orphanage until college age, when she learned that a trustee of the institution had been quietly observing her and, believing she had enough talent to become an author, offered to pay for her university education towards that goal. In return, he asked that she write him monthly updates on her progress, but never to expect a reply from him as he preferred to remain anonymous. Jerusha had only a glimpse of her patron's silhouette as he left the orphanage at dusk and from that point on, in her mind he was "Daddy Long Legs," a nickname befitting his lanky form. In her letters, Jerusha addressed him as "Daddy," never knowing that her benefactor wasn't old and gray as she'd imagined him, but was in fact the charming and wealthy bachelor Jervis Pendleton, who happened to be the uncle of one of her college dormmates, a girl she disliked for her snobbish manners.
Over the course of four years, Jerusha faithfully wrote her "Daddy" as per their agreement, at first reporting about her schoolwork and life away from the orphanage, but in time, feeling safe with his silence and believing they would never meet, turning to him to confide her most intimate coming-of-age angst and struggles. Little did she know that Jervis, despite feeling deeply conflicted, has become romantically drawn to her through their one-sided correspondence, and at one point, jealous and frightened that Jerusha might have feelings for an eligible suitor IRL, had devised to come see her under the pretext of visiting his niece at their college. Jerusha immediately developed a crush on the devastatingly handsome Jervis, but realizing they were totally mismatched in social stations, chose to keep her attraction for him hidden, confiding in "Daddy" instead.
For a long time, Jervis struggled to balance his motives and intentions, having fallen in love with Jerusha. He debated unveiling his identity in order to attend Jerusha's graduation at her begging, but ultimately decided against it. After proposing to Jerusha and being rejected, he went into seclusion. Jerusha wrote her "Daddy" to lament how disappointed she was not seeing him at her graduation, but also to tell the story of how she'd hurt the only man she had ever loved, Jervis, by turning him away. Jerusha explained she was frightened of the possibility, and could not let herself believe the couple had a chance at happiness. She believed Jervis would stop loving her once he discovered she was a poor foundling that could only afford to go to college due to a stranger's charity.
The climax of the show happened when Jerusha sought out "Daddy Long Legs" and discovered he and Jervis was actually one and the same.
The story was set in the early 1900's and infused with old-fashioned charm and wit. I was taken by Jerusha's determination to make something of herself despite her disadvantaged background and could imagine how Jervis would enjoy seeing her blossom under his care to a degree that eventually made it natural for him to fall for her.
In the lobby after the show, my sisters and I engaged in delicious gossip about the actors with the lady sitting behind a reception desk. I asked whether McGinnis and Hancock would come out to meet their fans and the lady said we shouldn't count on it, as the star of the show "is very protective of her voice." "Oh... which means she won't talk to fans or shake their hands?" I wondered aloud. "I think she's afraid of germs," the lady conceded. "So the real reason is professional, or personal?" "I believe it might be a little bit of both." Hmm...
We also discussed the beautiful chemistry between McGinnis and Hancock and I noted that it almost seemed a waste they're not together in real life. We asked if McGinnis is married and the lady said she thinks she has a boyfriend back in New York.
So I went home and Googled Megan McGinnis. Her website had a jukebox, which unfortunately did not showcase her best performances, IMO. Or she could be one of those singers who sound much better in person than in recordings.
Megan McGinnis' website:
Rob Hancock's website:
TheatreWorks' Daddy Long Legs:
