It’s no wonder that Village Theatre chose now to produce such a vintage show as “Meet Me in St. Louis.”
When the movie came out in 1944 (remember Judy Garland as Esther and Margaret O’Brien as Tootie?), America was in the throes of World War II and the public sought hope, something to smile about and an escape.
The musical “Meet Me in St. Louis” is based on the movie and delivers that positive-plus feeling.
Clearly, Village Theatre’s top-drawer production — opening tonight in Everett — under the oh-so-talented hand of director Steve Tomkins smacks of a more innocent and simpler time, of strong family bonds and a soaring American spirit.
But here’s the public service warning about this show: It is pure, cotton-candy escapism served up with a heaping pile of saccharine-soaked nostalgia.
So if you are ready to journey back to a place that time didn’t forget but stored in a bubble and dusted with a coating of confectioner’s sugar, then you will enjoy “Meet Me in St. Louis.”
The story develops around the characters who comprise the enthusiastically happy Smith family with a plot that culminates in the two beautiful daughters, Esther and Rose, finding true love and getting engaged and the arrival of the World’s Fair (the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition) to St. Louis.
Woven throughout this story line are some timeless tunes such as “The Trolley Song,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and the eponymous “Meet Me in St. Louis.”
There are also a couple of superb large-scale dance numbers, including “Skip To My Lou” and “The Banjo,” in which the amazing John David Scott, who plays Lon Smith, finesses the floor with Fred Astairlike flair. Scott was a joy to watch.
Other elements that make this show shine are the truly inspired set design by Steven Capone and the lavish display of more than 120 costumes designed by Cynthia Savage.
The vivacious Ryah Nixon is a standout as Esther Smith. She follows her last Village Theatre appearance, as Princess Ammeris in “Aida,” with a singularly stunning combo of song and style.
The ever-reliable John Patrick Lowrie plays a lovable yet wonderfully sarcastic Mr. Alonso Smith, and Bobbi Kotula is wonderful as the household’s put-upon Irish cook, Katie.
These veterans support an incredibly talented cast of 26 backed by a 12-piece orchestra (musical direction by Tim Symons) that will lead you on a journey to a place that seems close to unrecognizable today.
But as New York Times film critic Bosley Crowthers said in 1944, if you are ready to savor the “enjoyment of innocent family merriment with the fragrance of dried-rose petals and … girlish rhapsodies,” then climb aboard that trolley.
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.
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