The characters aren’t the only ones beaming throughout "Smile". The 1986 musical satire about a local beauty pageant is back for a limited run at The Lion Theatre and will certainly have you grinning from ear to ear, if not bursting into laughter. It’s "A Chorus Line" with teenage beauty queens substituted for dancers, and no wonder since the two musicals share the same composer: the late, great Marvin Hamlisch. Yes, this is that other show biz competition musical -- the one where the girls are more ambitious, cattier, and have more baggage than those chorus men and women. The libretto and lyrics are by Howard Ashman of "Little Shop of Horror" fame, and you can feel the same bite of comic darkness in this show. It’s a marvel the contestants can smile at all with tongues so planted in cheek.
The narrative spotlights nine young women, all 'soon-to-be high school seniors' (a wordy description that plays humorously throughout the show), competing for the Young American Miss crown. Set during summer 1985 in Southern California, the show follows the girls as they bunk up for a week at Santa Rosa Community College. Here they endlessly practice the same choreographed moves, try to cut each other down, and primp and preen for a trio of judges, including Head Judge Big Bob (Tom Lucca). As a local car dealer and husband of Pageant Coordinator Brenda (Jeanette Fitzpatrick), Bob’s dreams of doing more with his life have been relegated to helping one girl achieve her own dreams. As the week progresses, the tension builds between the couple. Brenda is dealing with her own failed beauty pageant career. Her attempt to relive her glory days as the Young American Miss winner 18 years ago is both laughter- and cringe-inducing.
The music of "Smile" is generally bouncy and fun; think “Popular” from "Wicked". The dialogue is peppered with just enough ‘80s references to make it funny but not too irrelevant. The singing is perfection, each actor holding her own in solos as well as seamlessly blending together in chorus. The acting is campy in the way you’d expect from a ‘80s teen musical. Jenna Pastuszek particularly shines as Doria, the girl from the wrong side of the trailer park. Coming from a broken home with dreams of living in Disneyland, Doria is the most likeable and genuine character. She is a career pageant girl who mentors newbie roommate Robin (Patti-Lee Meringo). Although experienced in the world of beauty pageants, Doria is still the underdog and encapsulates the pathos of a young woman who isn’t quite beautiful, smart, or talented enough to make it as a beauty queen. In the pageant world, being nice doesn’t quite cut it.
In "Smile", the lip stretching is forced, the veneer too plastic, phony, and make-believe—like Disneyland. The ugliness is swept under the rug and we are meant to accept that. Lifting the glossy curtain of beauty pageants reveals a somewhat seedy underbelly, but this we already know. The real surprise is in the revelation of inner beauty, heart, and kindness that ultimately runs these competitions.
"Smile" is currently playing at The Lion Theatre on Theatre Row through November 3. Check out our full event listing here: https://stagebuddy.com/listingdetail.php?lid=15171
