'Legs' Diamond tails mobster's unorthodox new career

Diamonds are forever, and that certainly seems to be the case with the 1988 musical titled "The Almost Totally Fictitious Musical History of Legs Diamond."

It fell so totally flat on Broadway that the theater pinning financial hopes on it had to be sold to a church. Yet Peter Allen's rich music has continued to pop up; there's a bootleg copy cruising YouTube; and despite massive technicalities regarding rights to it, TheatreZone will be the second regional theater resurrecting the hit man-turned-showman tale.

You might say this musical has legs.

It does have a hold on followers of Allen's melodies, who are legion. Few of his songs are easily categorized as "greatest hits" besides "Between the Moon and New York City," the theme from the movie "Arthur," for which Allen won an Oscar. But the late dancer, singer and songwriter still has fans 25 years after his death. Ask Larry Alexander, star of the show, who keeps Allen discs in his car, and he'll respond with "6:30 Sunday Morning," and "Planes."

"His songs are absolutely incredible," he said. "Some of his songs are so quintessentially New York. He wrote a song called '6:30 Sunday Morning' that just puts you there, and another, called 'Planes,' about travel that's one of my favorites." He singles out  "Sure Thing, Baby" as the one he enjoys singing most in this musical.

Mark Danni's catalog favorites include tunes like "I Go to Rio,' from "The Boy from Oz." But in "Legs Diamond," it's also "Sure Thing, Baby" — "I just love that" — and "Speakeasy."

Another, "Knockers," is sung to patrons of the nightclub where Legs is entertaining; the room's tables are equipped with small hammers customers use to signify their approval of the music. So it's not about what you think it is. Or is it?

"It's very clever," is all Danni will say. "You can just see what a wonderful songwriter he was."

"Legs Diamond" actually does have a massive amount of legwork going for it. There are the Hotsy-Totsy Girls who back up the entertainers at Diamond's club, and Diamond is portrayed as a high stepper.

"There are 12 people and there are huge dance production numbers. We have a seven-piece orchestra, so there's lots of music,"  Danni said.

This sounds like dancer's boot camp, and Alexander would agree with that.

"The choreography is unbelievable. There's a lot of dancing. It's a very heavy dancer," he said. Alexander isn't one to hold back, either; he actually broke a foot during the run of "The Boy from Oz" at TheatreZone in 2016.

To add to that, Alexander is playing Peter Allen as well as Legs Diamond, with asides that require him to jump out of one character and talk to the audience as another, dishing on the creation of the musical: "I hit a note and then I start talking as Peter Allen. It's fast. But it's fun."

"You get the story, but the back story, too," Danni said.

If you go

"Legs Diamond"

What: Retelling of the making of "Legs Diamond" by its musical composer, incorporating the Peter Allen music

When: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and May 4-6; 2 p.m. Sunday and  May 7; 7:30 p.m. Sunday and May 7

Where: G&L Theatre at The Community School of Naples, 13275 Livingston Road, North Naples

Tickets: $48

To buy: theatrezone-florida.com or 888-966-3352