PLAYTIME – Volume 1
All Plays – No Musicals!
A variety of plots, styles, and cities with New York, Chicago and London
represented. Today's plays include the distaff version of an iconic Neil Simon
comedy; one of the funniest plays I've seen about one man with two guvnors; a
delicious slice of life play with a spectacular set; the trials and tribulations of an Upper West Side matron; a wildly
successful London and New York hit that left both Bob and I underwhelmed; and
finally, three plays by the estimable TimeLine Theatre of Chicago.
Let's get started.
For whatever reason, I can't find my program, but this display ad from the Chicago Tribune serves well as the credits page.
from the Broadway Playbill.
from the Broadway Playbill. Look how young, and, frankly, hot Tony Shalhoub looks circa 1985. FYI: In the mid 90s, I had the honor of seeing Julie Wilson at the Algonquin. Not much voice remaining, but her elegance, presence, and her way with a lyric overcame any vocal limitations. A true cabaret legend.
November, 1984. Not even twenty years after its Broadway debut in 1965,
Neil Simon's hugely popular comedy about two mismatched roommates was beginning
to show some wear and tear around the edges. Reworked by author Neil Simon to
accommodate a gender switch for all of its characters, this version, on the
first stop of a lengthy tryout tour prior to Broadway, was entertaining enough,
but also often lurched and fumbled about trying to get its laughs. The result
wasn't a female The Odd Couple per
se, but instead an awkwardly written piece that sat uncomfortably on its
original source material. Heading up the cast were EGOT-winner Rita Moreno as
Olive Madison, née Oscar Madison, the slob, looking chic and stylish even when
she tried to look messy and not put together (I mean, after all, it is Rita Moreno!) and Sally Struthers,
post All in the Family, as Florence
Ungar, née Felix Ungar, the neatnik, looking kind of thrown together and more slob
than neatnik. They worked hard and earned their laughs with professional aplomb.
The card players, Marilyn Cooper, who arguably was the best thing in the Lauren
Bacall-starring Woman of the Year, Jenny
O'Hara, seen in 1971 in Promises,
Promises, Mary Louise Wilson, who would go on to win a Tony for her
memorable performance in Grey Gardens, and
Kathleen Doyle, a Goodman graduate, were all fine in what I've always felt were
tacked-on roles. In this edition, the Pigeon Sisters became the Costazuela
Brothers from Barcelona in a malaprop-laden performance that teetered dangerously
towards stereotype, but thanks to the endearing performances of Tony Shalhoub,
in what would be his Broadway debut, and Lewis J. Stadlen, who decades later
would underwhelm me as Max Bialystock in the tour of The Producers, it never crossed that line. I'm sure in 1984, this
gender switch seemed like a great idea, even a groundbreaking one, but,
unfortunately, the results just really didn't do anyone any favors, and it all
sort of played out like a time-worn sitcom. – at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago
Sidebar: I've mentioned before that I think Neil
Simon's more dramatic works play better in the 21st century than his comedies,
especially his early ones. Case in point: a few years back I went to a
community theatre production of The Odd
Couple. It was competently directed and had two good actors as its Oscar
and Felix. And I didn't laugh once. Not once. And though the audience laughed
more than I did, it wasn't the laugh fest I remembered from the touring
production at the Blackstone in the late 60s or even the female version of
1984. You see, time had marched on since The
Odd Couple first appeared, and the plot and characters now seemed, well,
too 60s macho, a bit misogynistic, laden with stereotypical ideas of
masculinity, and just not that funny anymore. But many comedies from the 60s
and 70s, unless they're period pieces to begin with, don't play, or read, well
today. I mean, who does Mary, Mary, a
1572-performance smash hit from 1961, today? Feel free to disagree with me.
ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS – The Music Box, New York
August, 2012. I'm not sure when Bob and I laughed so hard in the
theatre. This hysterical romp is the funniest play since Noises Off graced the 1983 Broadway stage. I can't even begin to
describe the plot, but basically it has our hero working for two employers, and
he wants to keep them each from knowing he works for the other. Got that? Don't
worry. It all made sense somehow. Richard Bean's script, based on Carlo
Goldoni's 1746 commedia dell'arte The
Servant of Two Masters, kept the laughs coming virtually non-stop, and
kudos must go to everyone on the production team, headed by director Nicholas
Hytner. In a cast of true zanies, Tom Edden as a geriatric, bumbling waiter
nearly stole the show, but it was Tony-winning star James Corden who was so
deliciously funny, irreverent, and lovable, that you knew you were in the
presence of a comic master. Impeccable comic timing takes discipline and a
fearlessness and Corden displayed both. Simply wonderful. We were weak from
laughter when we left the theatre. We saw a Saturday matinee. I can't even
begin to imagine how Corden and crew managed another performance that day. – at
The Music Box, New York
GOOD PEOPLE – Friedman Theatre, New York
April, 2011. David Lindsay-Abaire, who wrote the exquisite Rabbit Hole, returned to the Friedman
with Good People, a simply terrific
slice-of-life play that was both hysterically funny and dramatically intense. At
its most basic, it asks the question if anyone can truly leave their roots
behind, even when they have physically left them behind, but it's much more
than just that. There's no great plot twists and turns, but for character
studies, it's a winner. The cast, including Becky Ann Baker, Patrick Carroll,
Tate Donovan, future Hamilton Tony
winner Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Estelle Parsons, was absolutely first-rate with
nary a weak performance in sight, with a superb lead turn by Frances McDormand,
in a performance that would net her a Tony in a couple of months. Directed with
a keen eye for Lindsay-Abaire's rhythms by Daniel Sullivan, one of the stars of
the show was the delicious scenic design by the invaluable John Lee Beatty. Eye-poppingly
gorgeous! Intelligent, thoughtful theatre. And for the record, not that it
especially matters, but Tate Donovan, looking kind of daddy-scruffy with a
beard, was quite hot on the Friedman stage. – at the Samuel J. Friedman
Theatre, New York
THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST'S WIFE – Barrymore Theatre, New York
Valerie Harper replaced Linda Lavin and headed up the tour. Could not find snap with Lavin headlining.
April, 2001. Who would have thought that Charles Busch, the author of
such wonderfully warped gems like Vampire
Lesbians of Sodom, Psycho Beach Party, and Die! Mommy! Die!, could so completely switch gears and write a
traditional, laugh-laden comedy that was slick, professional, and totally
forgettable. This isn't a negative, necessarily. It's just that I couldn't tell you
the plot an hour after the final curtain if my life depended upon it. Taking
place on the Upper West Side, Linda Lavin played a successful doctor's wife,
who's having a mid-life crises, exacerbated by the sudden and mysterious
reappearance of a former BFF, with a nagging mother thrown in. Complications
ensued, but, never fear, it all resolved itself rather tidily by the end of the second act. Linda Lavin, Tony Roberts, and Michele Lee as the wife, doctor, and
BFF respectively, were all hugely enjoyable pros, each showing off impressive
comic chops, with Lee adding a touch of sexy, cougar glamour. Shirl Bernheim's nagging mother was caustic
and fun, and Anil Kumar did a nice job with the smallish role of the doorman. This
was not great theatre, but it was a great way to spend a Saturday evening
with terrific actors and a lot of laughs. – at the Barrymore Theatre, New York
THE 39 STEPS – Criterion Theatre, London
January, 2008. This was all the rage in London, won the Best New Comedy
Olivier (London's equivalent of the Tony) and would go on to run nine years in
the West End. A 2008 Broadway run ran close to 800 performances and racked up
two design Tony Awards. Between you, me, and the lightpost, I'm not sure why. This
4-hand parody on Hitchcock's film seemed to delight the Criterion audience. To its credit, it was done at a furious pace,
which made for a brisk evening. Greatly appreciated. I think Colleen liked it;
Bob and I were pretty bored. Perhaps not knowing the film this is parodying had
something to do with our reaction. – at the Criterion Theatre, London
Crossing the Pond for three plays from Chicago's TimeLine
Theatre.
BAKERSFIELD MIST – Stage 773, Chicago
August, 2016. Second preview. Often funny and often
thoughtful, this Chicago premiere was given TimeLine Theatre's usual detailed
and top-of-the-line treatment. Even at around 90 intermissionless minutes, the
script could use a judicious trim of 5-10 minutes. At times it gets a bit
bogged down both in plot and its unceasing attempt to be at all times clever
and/or meaningful. The plot thrust of the possibility that a painting purchased
at a thrift store could be an undiscovered Jackson Pollack, and the subsequent
arrival of an art connoisseur who will determine whether the painting is a
forgery or a genuine Pollack, is based on a true story, and, in playwright Stephen Sachs' hands, often hugely
entertaining. Janet Ulrich Brooks, as Maude, the painting's owner, gives her
customary excellent performance, but her natural classiness works a bit against
her. Her character could use a bit more earthiness. At 92, Mike Nussbaum is a
marvel in a sly, subtle performance. Kudos to scenic designer Jeffrey D. Kmiec
and properties designer Mary O'Dowd for their evocative set of a
less-than-deluxe trailer. The practically full house was attentive and
enthusiastic. Not perfect, but we enjoyed it. - at Stage 773, Chicago
IN THE NEXT ROOM OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY– Stage 773, Chicago
November, 2017. The star of TimeLine's production of Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play
were the absolutely sensational costumes by Alison Siple. No less sensational
were the superb set and lights by Sarah JHP Watkins and Brandon Wardell,
respectively. Less successful was the play itself in which playwright Ruhl
couldn't decide what she wanted the play to be. Is it a comedy? Is it a satire?
Is it a drama? Very funny in parts, sometimes bordering on farce, but then
abruptly switching gears to be sort of serious and then very serious, I found
myself getting seriously bored by the middle of the second act, even began
looking up at the lights, never a good sign. The acting was, for the most part,
fine, but the direction was plodding and one-note and pretty much muted the
performances. The play was long to begin with; the pacing made it longer. Not
one of TimeLine's better productions. - at Stage 773, Chicago
BOY – TimeLine Theatre, Chicago
January, 2018. Preview. TimeLine Theatre's production of Anna
Ziegler' s Boy is
thought-provoking and well-worth seeing. But, this 90-minute intermissionless
play about gender identity suffered from a case of trying to do too much in too
short a period of time, which meant we heard about a lot of things rather than
seeing them. The real-life case which is the basis for the play was an unhappy
affair, filled with sexual and emotional abuse; this is the happy talk version
with everything rather neatly wrapping up at the end. Don't get me wrong; I
enjoyed it, but I wasn't invested in it. In its off-Broadway world premiere in
2016, Bobby Steggert, an actor of incredible versatility, played Adam. Here
Theo Germaine played the role and did a nice job with it, but, like the play
itself, the performance seemed a little too neat, not truthfully messy enough.
Overall, performances were solid, if one-noteish, and will likely get better as
time progresses. At this point, the top performance is Stef Tovar's father,
which had a range of emotion and depth missing in the other performances.
Personal caveat...I'm getting weary of alley staging, but that's just me. And,
Wardrobe, please ensure costumes are properly pressed. I really, truly wanted
to love it, but, while I admired the production, I didn't especially like it. Still and all, bravo to
TimeLine for producing this flawed, but important, play. - at TimeLine Theatre,
Chicago
And that wraps up another post. Until later….
© 2018 Jeffrey Geddes
