Theater: “I Can Get It For You Wholesale” at Classic Stage

When “I Can Get It For You Wholesale” premiered on Broadway back in 1962, it garnered mixed reviews. Time Magazine called Harold Rome’s score “drab” and said his lyrics resembled nursery rhymes. On the other hand, Howard Taubman of the NYT praised the "evening's find...a girl with an oafish expression, a loud irascible voice and an arpeggiated laugh…a natural comedienne."

Taubman was of course referring to 19-year-old Barbra Streisand, who was nominated (but who didn’t win) the Best Supporting Actress Tony that year. However, Streisand did walk off with a consolation prize—her co-star Elliott Gould who would become her first husband and the father of their son Jason.

Sixty-one years later, “Wholesale” has been revived. And while the score will never be Sondheim or Rodgers and Hammerstein, Classic Stage Company has in its inimitable way more than delivered the goods on this old-fashioned, haimische B-plus musical.

Santino Fontana (“Tootsie”) is excellent as Harry Bogen, the young upstart from the Bronx who’s determined to become a macher in the garment business. So is Rebecca Naomi Jones (“Oklahoma”) as his homebody love interest.

But this production of “Wholesale” also features a breakthrough performance—not from Miss Marmelstein, but from Martha Mills, the sexy showgirl who leads Harry Bogen astray. Mills is played by Joy Woods (“Six.”) And from the moment Woods appears on stage in her diaphanous gown, wrapping her long legs around Fontana, a bolt of electricity runs from the stage to every member of the audience. She is Broadway. With a capital B. Sign me up.

Superb choreography by Ellenore Scott (in such a tiny space!), crisp direction by Tripp Cullman, and an ensemble of the best off-Broadway singers and dancers make this the best thing we’ve seen off Broadway since…the last best thing we saw off Broadway.

And in case you were wondering, Julia Lester is fine as Miss Marmelstein. Just understand she has some mighty big shoes to fill.

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