Lyric's 'Singapore' pleasant, forgettable

LOGAN — The light musical has become a staple of community theater. "Nunsense," "Forever Plaid" and others work their way onto the playbill because of their easy staging and the opportunity to show off the talent of the actors. There's not a strong storyline needed to carry the production, in the manner of, say, a Broadway-style musical or an opera — just a simple scenario to set up the excuse for a bunch of songs.

Unless there is a handful of standout performers or a show-stopping number or two that sets such a musical above the rest, they can feel similar.

And so it is with "Song of Singapore," the second production in the summer schedule of the Old Lyric Repertory Company, directed by Jon Cranney. There is no show-stopper — though a couple of numbers came close on opening night — and none of the songs is memorable. An hour later, audience members would be hard-pressed to hum a tune or sing a line from any of the show's songs.

Rather than giving patrons a medley of recognizable and catchy tunes, the songs are wordy dialogues, designed to move the "story" along and to develop characters. Catchy they are not, for the most part, and forgettable they become.

Doing his best to keep "Singapore" moving and working hard to stay in the audience's good graces is Lee Daily, a veteran of numerous OLRC productions. Daily has carried past OLRC efforts — especially musicals — squarely on his shoulders and never fails to deliver a strong effort. Daily's first solo, especially in comparison to the majority of "Singapore," is stunning. His crisp, even voice is strong, yet manicured to a precision that reflects years of theater presence. And to the delight of the audience, his words can actually be understood.

Phillip R. Lowe makes up for a pedestrian effort in last year's "Plaid" with a delightful series of songs via several characters. Particularly memorable was his "Harbor of Love," sung as Inspector Marvin Kurland. When handed the microphone in Freddy's Soul of Singapore Cafe, the inspector is called upon to be nervous and his shaky voice to strengthen as he sings of cuttlefish and octopus. Lowe ends up an audience favorite.