The Legend of Pearl Hart is a well-meaning but flawed musical about a young Canadian woman who gained notoriety in the 1890s for robbing a stagecoach.
Cathy Chamberlain's story is split into halves. First she focuses on Pearl's marriage to Frederick "Black Jack" Hart and her flirtation with the handsome sheriff and cowboy Bill Truman. Then, as time passes, Pearl starts to gamble and find a new identity, meeting friends like Kate and Joe "Boot" amid dudes, drunks, thieves, suffragettes, Wild West shows, and a song and dance number every few minutes.
Never do these seem like real people, nor does the action credibly represent the frontier. Nevertheless, Chamberlain competently dramatizes the romantic first half, especially a love-triangle scene. The second act is somewhat dull and meandering, particularly the scenes involving women's suffrage. Throughout, the dialogue lacks irony, wit, and wordplay. The songs, with music by Rich Look and lyrics by Chamberlain, are ordinary in tune and tone, with the occasional exception like "Polka Dot Polka," an imaginative meditation on sobriety.
Jim Osorno's choreography is flamboyant enough, but director Lea Orth's cast lacks the necessary polish to execute the dances. The songs are also a struggle for the actors, including Catherine Hesse, who lacks command and flair as Pearl. Better is Keith Krutchkoff as Bill; he's a solid singer and powerful actor. But the best performances come from Laurie Gamache, an all-around first-rate performer, as Kate, and George Riddle, hilarious and charming as Joe "Boot."
Presented by LCO Productions at TBG Arts Center, 312 W. 36th St., NYC. Closed.