Tales of the City

Boy, have times changed! Back in 1977, when author Amistad Maupin was writing his fictional column, "Tales of the City" at the San Francisco Chronicle, he almost lost his job from the scandal created when Maupin's main character Michael Tolliver declared that when he came out of the closet, he'd nailed it shut behind him.

Afraid that this would offend readers, the paper's editors considered killing the column. Maupin threatened to quit if they did. He had to wait for a very tense two hours before he got a call telling him that the newspaper would run it.

More than three decades later, after Maupin's column has morphed into a series of international bestsellers, a 1994 PBS miniseries, and now, ACT's latest offering, that 1977 controversy seems a little quaint.

And the problem with the latest incarnation of "Tales of the City" -- a glossy, shooting-straight-for-Broadway musical -- is that it imbues its early '70s setting and the characters who people it with a similar quaintness. What was edgy and barrier-breaking back then now feels a just little too cute and na�ve.

Notwithstanding, there is much to recommend about the show, and it's certainly proven popular. It's playing to sold-out audiences at The Curran Theater and has already been extended for an additional two weeks, through July 24.

"Tales of the City" offers an absolutely standout cast, fabulous costuming, song after song belted out by very accomplished singers, and a lot of laughs. But at the end of the night, it lacks the emotional punch to make it truly memorable.

I liked the characters and I cared about their travails, but not enough to be moved beyond a mere shrug of the shoulders when some get their hearts broken, one stumbles upon some despicable human malevolence, and others finally find the connection that they've craved.

The fault is certainly not with the actors. As Mary Ann Singleton -- the wide-eyed girl from Ohio whose decision to indefinitely extend her vacation sets the show's action in motion -- Betsy Wolfe manages to prevent her character from falling into stereotype with a nicely nuanced performance.

As Anna Madrigal, Judy Kaye is the powerful and centering presence that the disparate narrative requires. Mary Birdsong gives us a Mona who lights the stage with her lithe and dynamic presence, while Richard Poe (as the wealthy, powerful, and unfulfilled Edgar Halcyon) has a command of his craft and a shimmering voice that positively fills the theater.

Wesley Taylor makes an admirable Michael and beautifully delivers one of the show's more memorable ballads, "Dear Mama." And playing De De, Elizabeth Monteleone gives us a couple of the show's more stand-out numbers ("Stay for a While" and "Plus One").

The ensemble, too, is equally impressive, with all its members inhabiting each of their multiple roles with conviction. They sing, roller skate, disco dance, party in the street in wild Halloween costumes, and toke on lots and lots of joints, colorfully evoking a feel-good pre-AIDS San Francisco -- which is just as well, because the unimaginative and generic set does very little to root us in time and place.

Perhaps the show's main problems lie in the very nature of the raw material being worked. Maupin created his original "Tales of the City" Dickens-style, as a series in a newspaper. This gives the novels an episodic and somewhat soap opera-like feel. It is clearly a challenge for any writer to compress the stories of multiple characters whose lives intersect at 28 Barbary Lane into a satisfying three-hour narrative. Librettist Jeff Whitty does a decent job, but because our attention never settles on one particular character for very long, we don't get to know any of them well enough to place much emotional investment in them.

What's more, "Tales" feels like such a nostalgic celebration of a more quaint and innocent time that the world it contains never presents any real risk to the characters; we know that it will all turn out all right in the end. Thus, Mary Ann's dramatic revelation about her boyfriend Norman and the crisis that ensues had little resonance, Michael's homophobic parents seem almost charming, and even the loss suffered by Anna Madrigal has no real resonance.

Many of the songs exacerbate this lack of depth. The team of Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears and John Garden created the words and music, and there are some catchy tunes. In fact, most of the comedic songs are terrific: "Homosexual Convalescent Center," in which a group of older gay men describes their ideal retirement home, and "Ride 'em Hard," sung by an aging madam of a Nevada brothel, are especially good. But most of the ballads are easily forgettable, despite appearing a little too frequently. A slightly shorter show with the numbers that pack a real punch would definitely make for an enhanced experience.

There's a lot of fun in "Tales of the City." And this is clearly a show that's aiming for broader commercial success. It's very likely that it will achieve it, especially after some tightening and adjustments. This, I suppose, is something that we should celebrate.

In 1977, Armistad Maupin almost lost his job for taking one of his characters permanently out of the closet. In 2011, the audience at "Tales of the City" looked about as mainstream and middle class as they come. And no one left the theater looking offended. But if commercial success means the glossy and rather superficial product that "Tales" has turned out to be, I'm not quite ready to go out and party in the streets.

"Tales of the City" has been extended through July 31st at American Conservatory Theater, 415 Geary Street, San Francisco. For more information visit the ACT website