Utah Premiere of “Tootsie”Opens at Ziegfeld Theater
REVIEW
“Tootsie” production photo. Courtesy of Ziegfeld Theater
“Tootsie,” the musical, made its Utah debut Friday at Ogden’s Ziegfeld Theater, running through May 24, before opening at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City on May 28. The hilarious stage production, based on the Academy Award-winning 1982 film starring Dustin Hoffman, premiered on Broadway in 2019.
Ziegfeld’s production, directed by Kyle Esposito, stars theater founders Morgan (Julie Nichols) and Caleb Parry (Jeff Slater), a rare treat. They were last seen together at the theater in “Young Frankenstein” in October 2023. Jeremy Gross affectionately portrays leading characters Michael Dorsey and Dorothy Michaels. I suspect, like me, the whole audience fell for Dorothy and Michael along with Julie. The cast is full of lovable characters, including Alexa Thomas (Sandy Lester / Music Capt.), Alma Lambson (Max Van Horn), Amber Storm (Rita Marshall), and David Storm (Ron Carlisle / Fight Cap.).
I loved Alma Lambson in Ziegfeld production of “Mary Poppins” as Mr. Banks and he stands out again in “Tootsie” as the hilariously Dorothy-smitten Max. Alexa Thomas is a delight as the Micheal-obsessed Sandy. I truly cheered for her to win. I thoroughly enjoyed her, Amber Storm, and other cast members in the auditions, one of my favorite scenes.
Alma Lambson as “Max.” Courtesy of Ziegfeld Theater
This is a musical I’d drag my musical-hating friends to see. It seems more like a straight play with some musical numbers than a musical. An adult play, R-rated, it’s refreshing for those who think musicals are cheesy. At times, it’s like watching a “Friends” episode live with sitcom-like comedy and witty dialogue. The actors offer genuine gut-laughs throughout. Julie, played by Morgan Parry, is a champion for every feminist. I left wanting to see more of Dorothy, wishing she was a real-life regular in the Ogden arts scene.
Dorothy (Jeremy Gross) and Julie (Morgan Parry). Courtesy of Ziegfeld Theater
The story centers around a struggling actor, Michael Dorsey, who disguises himself as a woman to land a lead role, which he does, bringing him success at last – and romantic failure. He falls in love with his co-star Julie and we get to watch him try face the debacle his deceitful debauchery created.
Silly, joyful, funny, and worthy of your time. Supporting local theater is easy when it’s this good.
“Toosie” plays on Fridays and Saturdays through May 24 at Ziegfeld Theater, 3934 Washington Blvd. Ogden, Utah. Read more at https://www.zigarts.com/.
Coming up next at Ziegfeld Theater are “Jesus Christ Superstar” (June 20-July 5), “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” in ASL (Sept 5-20), “Rocky Horror Picture Show” (Oct 10-25), and “Elf” (Dec 5-22).