Theater Thursday - I Can Get It For You Wholesale

We were given complimentary tickets to I Can Get It For You Wholesale for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: I Can Get It For You Wholesale

Where: Classic Stage Company

             136 E. 13th St.

             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for  Ages 12 and Up

When: Through December 17, 2023

I Can Get It For You Wholesale is a 1962 musical best known for being the vehicle that gave Barbra Streisand her start. It was written by Jerome Weidman and loosely based on his novel of the same name. The original Broadway production received mixed reviews and did not do well.

The show is problematic because its central character, Harry Bogen is quite unlikable. Harry works in the garment industry where he has no qualms about doing whatever is necessary to get ahead. Harry cannot even be considered an antihero because even an antihero has to have some redeeming qualities and at least a trace of inner goodness. About the only good thing you can say about Harry is that he loves his mother. 

That being said, the current Classic Stage Company production of the show is still worth seeing. The show is extremely well-cast. Santino Fontana in the main role of Harry Bogen has such an earnestness to his portrayal that you almost want to like him despite the character's consistently abhorrent behavior. Judy Kuhn in the role of Harry's mother, has a world-weariness to her character that transcends the stereotype of the typical Jewish mother. No rose-colored glasses cover this mother's eyes. She loves her son but she sees him for who he really is.  Julie Lester, in the unenviable position of portraying the role Barbra Streisand first played and which brought her much acclaim, is a delight in the role of Miss Marmelstein. Her performance of the song Miss Marmelstein is a highlight of the show. 

The songs, on the whole, are nice but not especially memorable except for the aforementioned Miss Marmelstein. Their likability may be attributed to the quality of the voices in this particular production of the show. If you listen to the original cast album, none of the singing voices are as good except for Barbra Streisand's. Consequently, the songs don't sound quite as enjoyable. However, that is just a reminder that the main reason to see this show is because of the all-around excellence of the performances.

And that's our view.  For more about I Can Get It For You Wholesale or to purchase a ticket to one of the remaining performances, visit www.classicstage.org/i-can-get-it-for-you-wholesale.

Tune in Saturday for Still More Theater Saturday.

Photo credits:

All I Can Get It For You Wholesale production photos by Julieta Cervantes

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