Photo by Kevin Graft.

Fresh off the heels of its crushing production Cabaret, Music Circus lightens it up with the song-and-tap-dance spectacular, Nice Work If You Can Get It. Using the hit tunes of the George and Ira Gershwin songbook, the musical is, to quote itself, a “frothy, frivolous boy-meets-girl sex farce.” Not that I’m complaining! From start to finish, the madcap antics of the revolving cast of showgirls, socialites, Prohibitionists, and gangsters kept me — and the gentleman behind me — laughing throughout the two-hour show.

Set during the Prohibition era, the musical documents how a trio of bootleggers flip the script on a millionaire playboy’s wedding weekend (granted, this was his fourth time at the alter!). From mistaken identities, hilarious double entendres (“The Society of Dry Women”), and a shocking revelation, the production is a chockful of silliness and bawdy fun, especially in its second act. Musically, the score is jazzy and upbeat; Gershwin and Broadway fans will no doubt sing-a-long to lyrics of “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.”

Personal highlights include the bride-to-be’s self-involved, bubble-filled “Delishious,” (Lady Gaga would be in awe of Eileen’s bubble costume), the elegant Roaring Twenties costume silhouettes, a swinging chandelier incident, and the awkward shimmies and shakes – also known as “female stuff” – delivered by tomboy bootlegger Billy Bendix, played excellently by Kristie Kerwin.

Photo by Charr Crail.

Don’t miss out on the second-to-last show of the Music Circus season! Nice Work If You Can Get It shakes up the Wells Fargo Pavilion through Sunday, August 14. For times and tickets, visit the musical’s Sacramento365 event page.

This blog post was written by Sacramento365’s Content and Social Media Coordinator Jamila B. Khan.