Review: Nice Work If You Can Get It

Posted by Curtain Up! on Oct 14, 2025

Photography credit: Amanda Tipton Photography

Lone Tree Arts Center brings a splash of vintage charm and toe-tapping delight with its high gloss production of Nice Work If You Can Get It. Directed with crisp wit by Kate Gleason, choreographed with flair by Christopher Page-Sanders, and buoyed by Alec Steinhorn’s stylish musical direction, this Gershwin-infused comedy offers a breezy escape into the Roaring Twenties. With romantic mischief, substantial dance numbers, and melodies that still sparkle, the show lands with warmth and polish — a well-dressed nod to Broadway’s golden age.

Originally premiering on Broadway in 2012, the Lone Tree Arts Center’s production of Nice Work If You Can Get It thrives on charm, chemistry, and George and Ira Gershwin’s timeless music and lyrics. With the book by Joe DiPietro, the legacy is joyfully carried forward by real-life married couple Marco Alberto Robinson and Adriane Leigh Robinson as the lead characters. Their dynamic partnership brings an extra layer of authenticity and warmth to the show’s romantic shenanigans, making each duet and dance number feel both playfully staged and genuinely heartfelt. Kudos to casting director Sylvia Gregory, CSA, for this casting coup, as well as the rest of the remarkable roster of actors, singers, and dancers.

Set during the Roaring Twenties and Prohibition, Nice Work If You Can Get It follows wealthy playboy Jimmy Winter (Marco Alberto Robinson) as he crosses paths with tough-talking bootlegger Billie Bendix (Adriane Leigh Robinson) on the eve of his wedding. Along with her cohorts Cookie McGee (Shabazz Green) and Duke Mahoney (Brian Davis), Billie stashes her illegal liquor in the Long Island mansion belonging to Jimmy’s mother, Millicent Winter (Anna Maria High). As expected, the Feds arrive, with Chief Berry (Carter Edward Smith) in charge, overseeing the immediate arrest and dissolution of the bootlegger operation.

Unbeknownst to Billie, Jimmy’s betrothed, Eileen Evergreen (Elise Frances Daniells), takes command of the estate, creating additional mayhem while waiting for the impending nuptials. Along with Eileen comes her father, Senator Max Evergreen (Larry Cahn), and her aunt, Duchess Estonia Dulworth (Jennifer DeDominici), to put the final touches on the impending vows.

As Jimmy, Marco Alberto Robinson is nothing less than sublime. He is a loveable millionaire goofball with a winning smile. More importantly, he is a total song and dance man, lighting up the Lone Tree’s sizeable stage with his standout performance. Robinson’s vulnerability shines through not just in his acting and singing, but in his dance moves too—they’re just as expressive, revealing the same emotional depth that anchors his entire performance.

Adriane Leigh Robinson brings Billie to life with magnetic charm and emotional precision, the perfect foil to Jimmy Winter’s champagne-soaked swagger. Her radiant performance—vocals soaring and character grounded—blows the roof off the Lone Tree Arts Center with Gershwin gems like “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “Hangin’ Around with You.” A genuine triple threat, Robinson commands the stage with impeccable acting chops, vocal finesse, and dance-floor dynamism—all seamlessly woven into a performance that dazzles from overture to curtain call.

Among the other standout players, Green delivers a scene-stealing turn as Cookie McGee, the fast-talking bootlegger whose quick wit and slippery charm drives much of the show’s comic momentum. As the unlikely “butler” tangled in a web of mistaken identities, Green’s antics keep the plot bubbling with Prohibition-era hijinks and help anchor the show’s farcical energy. Davis, as Duke Mahoney, adds his own splash of hilarity with the riotous number “Blah, Blah, Blah”—a tongue-in-cheek love song, singing to Jeannie Muldoon (Fairin Moon Hightower), that turns nonsense into nuance and leaves the audience roaring. Together, Green and Davis inject the production with a supreme dose of chaos and charm, proving that supporting roles can steal the spotlight with a well-timed punchline and a perfectly delivered melody.

Daniells shines with comedic flair as Eileen—the glamorous bride-to-be and celebrated dancer whose timing is as sharp as her high kicks. Her Busby Berkley style song “Delishious” is worth the price of admission. DeDominici commands the stage as Duchess Estonia with a rich, classically trained voice that soars—especially during the pre-wedding dinner scene. Keep an eye out for her impressive physical comedy; it’s a riotous highlight that brings the house down.

The ensemble is a whirlwind of talent and timing. Each member is a vital spark in the show’s effervescent engine, delivering crisp choreography, sharp character work, and boundless energy that keeps the production crackling from curtain up to final bow.

Director Gleason orchestrates Nice Work If You Can Get It with a deft hand and a sparkling sense of timing, balancing farce, romance, and roaring-twenties flair with precision and heart. Her staging keeps the action brisk and the emotional beats resonant, allowing each performer to shine while maintaining the show’s zesty ensemble energy. Alec Steinhorn’s musical direction is a triumph, guiding the cast through Gershwin’s lush melodies with clarity and verve. At the same time, Christopher Page-Sanders’ choreography injects the production with buoyant charm—his dance numbers burst with character, wit, and period-perfect pizzazz. Together, this creative trio delivers a production that’s as polished as it is effervescent.

In an age where recorded tracks often replace live instrumentation, the presence of a full 14-piece band, led by Alec Steinhorn, is not just refreshing, it’s exhilarating. Their rich, resonant sound fills the Lone Tree Arts Center with the kind of musical immediacy that only live performance can deliver, elevating Gershwin’s score from delightful to downright transcendent. It’s a sonic luxury that underscores the production’s commitment to authenticity and theatrical magic.

The physical production of Nice Work If You Can Get It dazzles with period-perfect detail and theatrical flair. Scenic designer Kevin Nelson conjures Gatsby-era grandeur with sets that shift seamlessly between shorefront and high-society charm. Madison Booth’s costumes pop with flapper frocks, bootlegger chic, and high society glam, while Jonathan Dunkle’s lighting bathes the stage in golden glows and moonlit blues that evoke both romance and razzle-dazzle. Together, this design trio creates a world as lush and lively as the Gershwin score itself.

Nice Work If You Can Get It is a high-class production filled with mistaken identities, romantic entanglements, and plenty of Gershwin tunes. Playing through October 26 only at the Lone Tree Arts Center, it’s a delightful comedy of manners where love sneaks in through the back door — and everyone’s dancing by the final curtain.

Information and tickets: https://www.lonetreeartscenter.org/whats-on/nice-work-if-you-can-get-it

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