My friend Mony and I saw The Nutty Professor, A New Musical at Hale Centre Theatre last weekend, and we absolutely loved it!
Rupert Holmes and Marvin Hamlisch’s musical brings Jerry Lewis’s 1963 movie to the stage. Some theater-goers may also be familiar with Eddie Murphy’s 1996 remake of the movie. The movies and musical put a comic twist on Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a tale in which one man, aided by a special serum, exhibits diametrically opposed personalities. In the musical, Julius Kelp (Spencer Jackson Hohl) is a socially awkward, clumsy chemistry professor at Korwin College. He frequently finds himself in trouble with the dean, Dr. Warfield (BJ Whimpey), for blowing up the chemistry lab and causing other accidents. Popular football players (Eric Ascione and Evan McKay Naef) routinely harass and humiliate him with petty pranks. Newly hired professor Stella Purdy (Arielle Groves) arrives at the college expecting to teach English literature, but the dean’s secretary, Miss Lemon (Jennifer Parker Hohl), quickly reassigns her to supervise the cheerleaders and lecture in other courses. Upon meeting the cheerleaders, Stella is shocked to discover their level of conformity to “the crowd” and their reluctance to think independently. Stella and Julius form an unlikely friendship as they bond over their common interest in books, and Julius further piques Stella’s interest as he smoothly explains the relationships and reactions among different chemicals. Julius reflects on ways he could change himself to be more appealing to someone like Stella and more accepted by people in general. He considers improving his physique by going to a gym, buying a fashionable wardrobe from an expensive store, and concocting a potion that would thoroughly transform him. Julius makes and takes a potion, later emerging at the popular college hangout, the Purple Pit, as Buddy Love. Buddy is smooth, stylish, and sophisticated, immediately captivating everyone with his charm. His transformation has an unfortunate underside, though, as his “charm” thinly veils cruel narcissism and a tendency to switch back to being Julius at the most inconvenient times. Stella thoroughly detests and challenges Buddy’s egotism, but she simultaneously recognizes something familiar and endearing that draws her to him. Upon more careful reflection, especially after witnessing the disruptive influence Buddy has on the students, Stella recognizes that it is Julius whom she loves.
Hale Centre Theatre’s production of The Nutty Professor, A New Musical ranks as my favorite production the theater has offered in the last year or so. This musical does employ a familiar plot formula (girl meets boy and falls in love) and theme (discern and stay true to one’s authentic self) that some may critique as being tired and predictable, yet this production drew me into its world and held me there for the duration of the performance. Spencer Jackson Hohl and Arielle Groves portray Julius/Buddy and Stella as believable, multifaceted characters who connect with each other and the audience. Hohl uses facial expressions and gestures brilliantly to depict the distinct differences between Julius and Buddy and switch quickly between them. Hohl also has a dynamic singing voice that showcases the vocal differences between his two characters and resonates with power and energy on his sustained notes. Arielle Groves matches his energy with resonant speaking and singing, and I particularly enjoyed her performance of the song “While I Still Have the Time.” Jennifer Parker Hohl is highly entertaining as lovestruck Miss Lemon, creating comedy at every turn with well timed one-liners that are either double entendres or Freudian slips that give away her infatuation with Dr. Warfield. The ensemble delivers a high energy, engaging performance of demanding choreography that is exciting to watch. All of this is beautifully wrapped in stunning bright costumes with lots of sparkle.
I thoroughly enjoyed this production and wholeheartedly recommend seeing it. The Nutty Professor runs through August 17, 2024 at Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy. Click here for information and tickets.
The Good Life 
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