The Quad

Issue date: 11/5/07 Section: Entertainment

The West Chester University Theater and Dance Department's production of "Cole" was a musical revue based on the life and works of legendary composer Cole Porter. The show featured 45 of his most popular and beloved songs, and used them to tell us the story of his life.

"Cole" opened with an introduction to Cole Porter and followed that with a song called "Wouldn't It Be Fun?" in which Cole wonders what his life would have been like if he wasn't famous or wealthy. It was an interesting and unique song that especially contrasted with a lot of today's music where the artist can be heard bragging about their successes.

After that, the entire cast came onto stage and performed "Another Op'nin', Another Show" which was an energetic and fitting way to begin the show. From there the show was divided up into sequences that highlight certain periods of Porter's life.

During each sequence, the songs were bookended with bits of biographical information on Porter, as well as information on what was going on at that time in the world. The first sequence was based on his time at Yale, where he composed some of his first songs including a fight song for the football team. The highlight of this sequence was the barbershop number entitled "When the Summer Moon Comes 'Long." The Yale segment ended with Porter enduring a string of failures on Broadway that led him to travel to Paris for inspiration.

Some of the highlights of the Paris sequence included "Lost Liberty Blues," where the Statue of Liberty laments leaving France for America and "Missus Lowsborough-Goodby," which featured some comedic moments and an angry letter structure.

From Paris we travel to Manhattan, as Porter finds his inspiration and success. The Manhattan sequence featured many strong numbers including the spirited "I'm A Gigolo,"which follows up with the mournful "Love for Sale." The show artfully balanced these two songs and created an interesting dynamic by having them next to each other.

Next, the audience was transported to Broadway, which opened with one of Porter's most famous songs "Night and Day." The sequence also contained the lively "Anything Goes," which featured some fine tap dancing. Act I of the play concluded with the hopeful yet somber "Tomorrow," which was performed to perfection.

After Act I, there was a short intermission. During the break, audience members could be heard singing and humming aloud some of their favorite songs from the show.

Continued...

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