Sunset Playhouse Man Who Came for Dinner Review
NOT A 7-Grade DINNER,
BUT FILLING Just THE Aforementioned
While on a Midwest lecture tour, arrogant and overbearing critic and radio commentator Sheridan Whiteside slips on an icy doorstep, injures his hip, and is confined to a wheelchair in a pocket-sized Ohio town for six long weeks of recovery. He completely disrupts and unnerves the family whose home he takes over, invites his famous friends to visit, and meddles in just about everybody's affair.
This character is based on Alexander Woollcott, the reigning theater critic of his day, a radio mega-star whose plan, The Town Crier, was kind of a People magazine of the air waves from 1933-38. Woollcott was a hobnobber who knew all the glitterati and literati of his era. He was also very well-acquainted with playwrights Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, co-members with Woollcott of the infamous Algonquin Circular Table, a grouping of New York Metropolis writers, critics, actors, and sparkling if ofttimes lacerating, acerbic wits. Indeed, The Human being Who Came to Dinner is dedicated to Woollcott "for reasons," the authors wrote, "that are nobody'south business."
It is one of the funniest plays in American drama. There may exist a few votes for The Odd Couple or The Forepart Page, merely this masterpiece stands above them all for its mix of great comic dialogue, exhilarating characters, and clever plotting. Since 1939, the thirty-six-character, three-act thrill-ride has been staged around the globe annually, attesting to the play'southward popularity. Information technology may experience creaky to some, given Whiteside's jaw-dropping (but still hysterical) misogyny, and his not-stop celebrity name-dropping (Zasu Pitts, Maude Adams), both of which may befuddle younger audience members.
As is usually the case at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood, the performances are a mixed bag; a few actors take yet to even autumn off the customs theater turnip truck, and a few are miscast. Even sycophantic 50.A. theater critic Steven Stanley makes an appearance in a mercifully pocket-size role — wait, there are no small roles, only … well, yous know. (Yet, Stanley, who appears this calendar week only, is the apotheosis of a professor who is the world'southward greatest authority on insect life.)
Nevertheless some terrific turns from crackerjack actors, and Bruce Kimmel'due south lightning-speed direction — even as it can interfere with comic nuance at times — make this a recommended matter, especially for those who yearn to see an American classic with a large cast. Hellzapoppin' in that frantic, frenzied manner of the erstwhile well-fabricated farce, ex-convicts are invited for dinner, a crate of penguins arrives from Admiral Byrd, and a glass-case "Roach Urban center" containing 10,000 cockroaches is delivered, besides equally a huge Egyptian mummy example.
For Group Rep, Jim Beaver fills out the grandiose proportions of the title role perfectly. Whiteside is pompous, rude and flatulent, yet despite his marathon of childish tantrums and bellowing, nosotros don't despise him. One of the play's strongest suits is watching this wheelchair-bound house guest from hell go off on everyone, never holding back from telling people exactly what he thinks of them. Audiences 80 years ago would take instantly recognized the protagonist and other key roles, especially Woollcott's real-life pals, Noël Coward (hither called Beverly Carlton) and Harpo Marx (dubbed Banjo.)
Barry Pearl (alternating with Michael Gabiano) lights up the stage equally the pic comedian, and Chris Winfield is exquisite as the English playwright and raconteur, although his vocalisation was rather soft singing the rather obscure song "What Am I To Do?" — written by Cole Porter specifically for this play. Susan Priver plays Loraine Sheldon, a scheming femme fatale modeled on larger-than-life musical star Gertrude Lawrence, but I would have preferred a bit more stage diva a la Tallulah Bankhead.
The cranky, demanding guest takes up residence on the first floor of the home of a prominent factory possessor, Mr. Stanley (Doug Haverty), and his married woman (Laura Wolfe), treating the household as if they are a five-star hotel staff, working but for him. He'south besides under the care of a befuddled local doctor (Trick Carney) and an exasperated nurse (a properly prim Kay Cole). Meanwhile, Whiteside's loyal yet flippant Girl Friday assistant, Maggie (Hartley Powers), is falling in love with a squeaky clean local newspaper reporter (Marker Stancato), who also happens to exist a budding playwright. Whiteside turns out non to exist as totally cocky-absorbed and insensitive as we initially assume, offer a sympathetic ear to his host family's two children (Marina Shtelen and Neil Angevine). He fifty-fifty encourages the daughter to run off with her young man, a labor organizer who'due south trying to bring a union to her father'due south factory. Michele Bernath plays a wacko relative based on Lizzie Borden, and Lareen Faye is wonderful equally the melt Whiteside hopes to snatch from his host family.
Chris Winfield's scenic design may not offer a grand living room with Edwardian wallpaper and sconce lights, but with a sturdy staircase and plenty of 30s' artifacts, it looks swell given the small upkeep (Leslie Young, properties). Michael Mullen's costumes hint at the 1939 period, just don't really capture the era..
With its Shakespearean-sized necessities, a truly brilliant version of The Man Who Came to Dinner may exist impossible these days. Only I'm glad to have seen this reminder of the halcyon days between the great wars; the 2-and-a-half hours fly by, with the best moments offer a risible throwback to an era of grand silliness.
photos by Doug Engalla and Barry Pearl
The Man Who Came to Dinner
The Group Rep
Lonny Chapman Theatre — Main Phase
10900 Burbank Blvd. in North Hollywood
Fri & Sat at 8, Sun at two
ends on Jan 12, 2020
for tickets, telephone call 818.763.5990 or visit Group Rep
Source: https://stageandcinema.com/2019/12/28/man-who-came-to-dinner/
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