REVIEW 'Song of Singapore' mixes music, fun

Don't worry about the plot, the fun is in the music.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
Take some Tommy Dorsey, a good measure of Henny Youngman and a pinch of the Three Stooges and you end up with a vibrant musical now planning at Salem Community Theatre.
"Song of Singapore" is a blend of 1940s swing music, cheesy jokes and slapstick humor. The cast in Salem clearly has a good time mixing it all together.
One ingredient you won't find in "Song of Singapore" is an intricate plot. There's no time for that. The musical crams in 18 songs in less than two hours, including a 15-minute intermission.
The setting is a night club in Singapore in 1941. Tensions among Americans and Europeans are high because the Japanese are expected to invade Singapore, but that doesn't stop the characters from running into walls, playing melodies on kazoos, pulling off someone's underwear and, most importantly, cracking corny jokes.
"You'll be bigger than Kate Smith," one club singer says to another.
"Nobody's bigger than Kate Smith," she replies.
Although the ending is a surprise, it hardly matters.
All that matters in "Song of Singapore" is the music.
Performances
The night club belongs to Freddy S. Lyme, played by Mark Frost, so he gets much of the spotlight. Frost shows his versatility, however, by not just singing but also by joining the band. He belts out some swinging melodies on his trombone and trumpet.
Kandace Cleland also performed double-duty. She hit all the right notes in portraying Rose, the ditzy night club singer, and also directed the show.
The two main characters were at their best, however, when joined with the harmonies of the other two club singers, Hans Van der Last, played by Darrell Cleland, and Spike Spauldeen, played by Dave Wack.
A highlight was a number reminiscent of Dueling Banjoes. Rose matched her voice against the fast fingers of Miss Ivory on the clarinet. Miss Ivory, played by musical director Jodine Pilmer, also led a five-piece band (seven when counting the brass instruments of Freddy and Spike) that kept the club swinging.
Joining in
Audience members have a brief chance to join the cast in kicking up their heels, but only a couple brave souls took the opportunity on opening night.
The most enchanting voice of the show belongs to Cha Li, an Asian character played convincingly by Devon Cleland. The only disappointment was that the show had only one song for the Youngstown State University vocal performance major.
Keeping the evening light was the zaniness of David Bedell, who played four characters with vigor.
In the end, and the beginning for that matter, nothing is by the book in "Song of Singapore." The show ends as it begins -- casually, informally and unexpectedly.
So have some fun. Saunter up to the club's bar on stage for refreshments at intermission and join the cast in the conga line when it comes by.
shilling@vindy.com