Writer/composer Michael John LaChiusa's gorgeous score far outshines the subject matter of this collection of scenic riffs about the plight of America's presidential wives. A talented group of actors stretches the stories to their limit, but the impact is still slight. Jackie Kennedy remarked that "first lady" sounds like a name for a horse, and the president's wife has often been treated by the press and public as a somewhat temperamental pet, from Eleanor Roosevelt to Laura Bush.
The conceit of LaChiusa's piece is to explore the anguish, emptiness, and absurdity of life as first lady. However, in two of the four scenes, the main focus is on those who hover around the presidential wife. In "Over Texas," JFK's secretary (Evelyn Halus) chats with Jackie's secretary (Heather Lee) as they prepare to land in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. And in "Eleanor Sleeps Here," Eleanor Roosevelt's companion Lorena Hickock (Mary-Pat Green) accompanies Eleanor (Halus) on a flight with Amelia Earhart (Kate Shindle).
The only real exploration of a first lady's character is curiously that of Mamie Eisenhower (Eydie Alyson) as she mopes in her bedroom while her husband is off dealing with anti-integration demonstrators in Little Rock. She is soon visited by Marian Anderson (Paula Newsome), who pleads the cause of civil rights but is snatched up by Mamie for a bit of time travel to spy on Ike (Gregory Jbara) as he cavorts with his driver, Kay Summersby (Irene Warner), in North Africa.
LaChiusa's off-center portraits of the first ladies are both appealing and frustrating. He is clearly less interested in the first ladies themselves than in the prison of their position, and there is a real fascination in the small, almost idle moments he portrays in the midst of the dramatic sweep of history. However, the effect is more contemplative than theatrical. A sharp exception is Alyson's portrayal of Mamie, which manages to snatch one of the most obscure and bland first ladies and re-invent her as a kind of Betty Boop of the White House.
Most exquisite, however, is LaChiusa's music, which floats us through the fairly static stories with a sinister grace that is often transcendent. There are fine performances, both acting and vocal, by the cast, notably Alyson, Green, and Newsome, but also by Halus and Lee. Bronwen Booth is haunting as Jackie Kennedy, and Warner is fine as the perky Margaret Truman. While her role is small, Shindle makes an intriguing Los Angeles stage debut. Jbara is solid in multiple roles, including a hilarious turn as Bess Truman. Daniel Henning's direction is terrific, successfully realizing a difficult piece.