Oscar E Moore

Like most seminars there are peaks and valleys, highlights and low spots, moments of boredom, moments of ecstasy and moments that are difficult to hear as exemplified in the new play SEMINAR by the gifted Theresa Rebeck just opened at the Golden Theatre on West 45^th Street.  But you won’t fall asleep at this sleeper hit of the season.

This is one very funny and smart playwright who can get into the minds of her characters and set up situations that are totally unexpected to reveal the truth and honest feelings and motivations within.

Attending this one hour and forty minute without intermission writing seminar in a large rent stabilized apartment on the Upper West Side inhabited by Kate (a delightful Lily Rabe) are three other budding novelists:  The sockless, well connected gabber Douglas (Jerry O’Connell), the sexy and sly as a fox Izzy (Hettienne Park) willing to do just about anything or anyone to get published in The New Yorker and the shy, semi nerdy Martin (the immensely likable and laughable Hamish Linklater) who can’t pay his rent but has forked over 5000 bucks to be included yet doesn’t want to let the head master of the class the very Simon Cowell infected Leonard (Alan Rickman) read his work.

Writers write to be read.  To be appreciated.  To bare their inner most secret thoughts to a hopefully adoring, paying public.  And so these four budding novelists have jumped into the writing pool to either be salvaged or ravaged by this supposed man of genius – Leonard – who has had some success as a novelist but has been hounded by a scandal and is now a journalist – his latest trip to Somalia allowing the playwright to have him leave the Seminar in question for a two week period and receive a great laugh upon his return.

 Language and sex are at the forefront in SEMINAR which is presented in a series of short scenes with the scene changes nicely choreographed in half light.  What these four have written (which is to be discussed or more likely to be torn apart after a brief scan) takes second place over who will be sleeping with whom and for what reasons, resulting in a farce like atmosphere at times which is great fun.

Sam Gold is the director.  And he is an extremely good director.  Precise.  Direct.  Adding detailed bits of business that highlight the often witty and heartfelt script that is chock full of unexpected plot twists and tricks that enables scenic designer David Zinn to exhibit his own set of surprises.

No one likes to be criticized or to be called a “Pussy” or a “Whore” which Mr. Alan Rickman does with aplomb, relishing those two words like truffles melting in his mouth.  He is contemptuous and sardonic to a fault (truthful?) and has an 11 o’clock number (read monologue) wherein he explains what will happen to Martin (Mr. Linklater) if and when he finds success as the others silently watch in amazement.  It’s a soul baring, enlightening, sad and wondrous moment of theatre.

At plays end one almost expects a sign to flash – “To be continued.” It would be most interesting to see what happens next.

www.SeminarOnBroadway.com  At the Golden Theatre West 45^th Street

Photo:  Jeremy Daniel

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Sha na na na, sha na na na na,
Sha na na na, sha na na na na,
Sha na na na, sha na na na na,
Sha na na na, sha na na na na,
Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip
Mum mum mum mum mum mum
Get a job Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Every morning about this time
she get me out of my bed
a-crying get a job.
After breakfast, everyday,
she throws the want ads right my way
And never fails to say,
Get a job Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na,
Sha na na na, sha na na na na,
Sha na na na, sha na na na na,
Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip
Mum mum mum mum mum mum
Get a job Sha na na na, sha na na na na
And when I get the paper
I read it through and through
And my girl never fails to say
If there is any work for me,
And when I go back to the house
I hear the woman’s mouth
Preaching and a crying,
Tell me that I’m lying ’bout a job
That I never could find.
Sha na na na, sha na na na na,
Sha na na na, sha na na na na,
Sha na na na, sha na na na na,
Sha na na na, sha na na na na,
Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip
Mum mum mum mum mum mum
Get a job Sha na na na, sha na na na na

Click on the above to hear the song from the AMERICAN GRAFFITI album plus some very pro and con comments!

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“Bursting with energy and eagerness”  “Conveys a note of honest emotion underneath the clowning” wrote Howard Taubman, New York Times theatre critic on March 27^th 1964 in reviewing Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl. 

These same quotes can also apply to the incandescent performance of Nina Arianda as the mysterious Vanda in David Ives’ Venus in Fur.  Not since Streisand have I been so impressed with a talent such as Nina Arianda possesses. 

There are not many parts that seem to be tailor made for the actress playing them.  There are not many parts that can catapult an actress into instant stardom.  Vanda is both for the incredibly talented Ms. Arianda who has to be a 21^st century ditz and an 18^th century dominatrix, both comic and dramatic changing from one to another in a heartbeat.  Her performance is a wonder to behold.  Not only is she a natural with impeccable instincts but she is smart.

But it takes two to tango.  Enter her co-star Hugh Dancy who also has two characters to portray.  Thomas, the writer/director of the play he is auditioning actresses for and the nobleman made submissive slave in his play-within-a-play that is based on Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s erotic novel Venus in Furs.  Mr. Dancy is the perfect match for Ms. Arianda.  They have explosive, heated chemistry that is a kinky voyeur’s dream come true.

Who’s on top?  Who has the power?  It’s a battle between director and actress.  A struggle between mistress and nobleman.  All done with a bag of props and costumes that Vanda has brought with her to get the part she is perfect for whose character’s name is Vanda.

Thomas has gone through 35 incompetent actresses, as he tells his fiancée Stacey on the phone – searching for a sexy, articulate and youngish woman and is about to give up when Vanda bursts into the rehearsal studio during a thunder storm with a seemingly wet umbrella – late – having been stuck on the subway and then finding her name not on the list. Fuck, Fuck fuck fuck fuck has never been so amusing.

She persuades Thomas to let her read for the part.  She has a script.  Impossible.  No one has the script.  She knows the lines.  How?  She knows how to adjust the lights.  She begins to take over, has ideas about the direction and the writing.  Who is she?  Good question.

I feel that the playwright Thomas aka Ives has conjured her up as his ideal woman and she, Vanda, is completely of his imagination.  Sex play and all.  I cannot prove this nor is it implicit in the writing of David Ives.  But he is so smart and so clever – who knows?

The other brilliant person involved in this production is director Walter Bobbie who served the same function for Mr. Ives’ School for Lies – which was incredibly witty and produced by the Classic Stage Company where Venus in Fur also started.  Mr. Bobbie knows how to take his time on stage with his actors and knows just the right detail and nuance to make both performances soar.

But the play itself, ummm, I feel it’s too long (almost two hours without an intermission) and repetitive and sometimes we wait for the antics of Vanda to perk up the proceedings which she does without a doubt, magnificently.

To quote Sam Lesner, The Chicago Daily News June 6, 1963  regarding Ms. Streisand – “Sparkling and fresh”  “Quite new and exciting.”  Ditto for Nina Arianda!

www.venusinfurbroadway.com                            Photo:  Joan Marcus

Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

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The cover of the PLAYBILL for Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz isn’t the only thing that has been changed for this production which has now transferred to the Booth Theatre on Broadway from its original Off-Broadway incarnation at Lincoln Center Theater earlier this year.

Rachel Griffiths has taken over for Elizabeth Marvel in the pivotal role of Brooke Wyeth and Judith Light has replaced Linda Lavin as her aunt Silda Grauman – no mean feat. 

Other Desert Cities plays better with these two replacements.  Rachael Griffiths, a young Jane Alexander – full of fierce passion and vulnerability and Judith Light who is far more humane a person and not the shot-out-of-a-canon-comic-character that Linda Lavin can and did and does play blindfolded make for a  more balanced production.

Act I resonates with sharp, dry sarcastic humor.  But it is the second act that is still troublesome.  Turning far more serious where secrets are revealed does not mitigate the fact that all of these people are horrible.  The melodramatic revelations are hard to accept and deflate much of what has been built up.

That being said, the performance of Stockard Channing as the matriarch Polly Wyeth has mellowed, deepened and become more sarcastic if that’s possible.  Stacy Keach remains as good as ever.  And Thomas Sadoski as Trip Wyeth – the mediator – has settled into his role and matured.  Other Desert Ciities could stand some trimming and tightening.

Here is my original review posted on January 27^th 2011.

Spending Christmas Eve with your family can sometimes be a trying experience. Especially if you belong to the very rich, very Republican Wyeth family celebrating the holiday in their very pristine beige living room in very sunny Palm Springs, 2004.   Celebrating is perhaps not the correct word.  It’s more like pretending to celebrate.

Pretending is the operative word here.  And playwright Jon Robin Baitz in “Other Desert Cities” now running at the Mitzi E. Newhouse at Lincoln Center seems to have mastered the art of having his characters pretend so well that they believe what it is that they are all trying to deny. 

Once we meet them, it’s hard to imagine this family exchanging the exquisitely wrapped gifts so perfectly arranged under the artfully decorated artificial Christmas tree. As artificial as they are with each other.  Keeping secrets.  Pretending.

That is until rebellious Brooke (Elizabeth Marvel) after a six year absence from family and writing due to a long bout of depression drops a bombshell.  Actually it’s a manuscript.  A memoir.  About to be published.  Dealing with a very private family matter that sets the plot a turning and a twisting.

Her mother Polly (Stockard Channing) sounding and looking every inch the Right Wing woman that she is when she isn’t sounding and looking every inch a tough, acerbic Marine is incensed that Brooke had the nerve to even write about the death of her brother Henry.  Her dad Lyman (Stacy Keach) an ex-actor, friend of the Reagans and the Annenbergs and ex- Ambassador refuses to comment.  Baby brother Trip (Thomas Sadoski) a TV producer of questionable taste mediates while Polly’s sister and ex-writing partner Silda Grauman (the amazing Linda Lavin) tries to stay on the wagon – whiffing instead the vapors of some booze brewing in a cup of tea.

Fun and family games are played out as the truth of the situation slowly emerges leading to a somewhat melodramatic ending where we are left wondering why it took so long for them to reach this level of communication.  And wondering what happens next.

Director Joe Mantello has guided his couldn’t-be-better-cast with great craft.  Guiding them through their perilous journey at telling the truth, dropping pretences, accepting the consequences of their actions (or not) and coming to terms with the how and the why of brother Henry’s death – his true character, his anti war sentiments, his involvement in a bombing – all put forth in Brooke’s tell-all memoir.

The perfect Palm Springs set is by John Lee Beatty.  The honest costumes designed by David Zinn.  Kenneth Posner has added appropriate lighting to enhance the stage pictures created by Mr. Mantello, especially the final tableau.

www.lct.org   Photo:  Joan Marcus

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Linda Lavin & Dick Latessa

This is the very sad saga of the horrible Lyons family presented in a very funny play by Nicky Silver which is now running at The Vineyard Theatre starring the ever brilliant Linda Lavin as the matriarch from hell Rita Lyons. 

A woman with a bad taste in her mouth (more on that later) who casually sits, leafing through House Beautiful, searching for ideas to redecorate the home that she hates while her cancer stricken husband Ben (Dick Latessa) lays dying – any moment now – in his private room hospital bed, swearing his head off, hooked up to a drip but not looking any the worse for it.  I guess he’s used to suffering, married to Rita all these 40 odd years.

Any moment now isn’t fast enough for Rita whose hateful and hurtful words account for that bad taste in her mouth.  She’ll even eat Jell-O to rid herself of the foul taste but it goes much deeper than that. 

How nonchalantly she spouts her venom, smiling and commenting with a pucker of her lips or blotting them with a tissue or issuing a look of utter disbelief.  Linda Lavin is Queen of the zinger and icy glance that adds an exclamation point to what she’s just said just in case you’ve missed it by laughing so hard.

Visiting their distant father, Lisa (Kate Jennings Grant) an alcoholic single mother in an abusive relationship and her brother Curtis (Michael Esper) who is gay and has an imaginary lover or does he?  that pays off in Act II when he meets Real Estate broker Brian (Gregory Wooddell) while looking at an apartment – the past returns to haunt all.  It’s your typical dysfunctional family at war over a death bed play smoothly directed by Mark Brokaw.

Michael Esper & Gregory Woodell

Ms. Lavin however manages to get some sympathy even though she is a bitch with her Second Act confessional – where she explains what it is she has gone through, what she wants for the future and how she is going to get it.

Curtis ends up in his dad’s hospital bed after he’s died due to a beating by the Real Estate guy in a scene that detours from the main play and is quite unbelievable but Mr. Silver has to get the son into that hospital bed somehow for the last scene which shows the son in a better light with his change in attitude towards his nurse (a compassionate and tough Brenda Pressley) that takes the hard edge off the disturbing evening.

It’s not surprising that Linda Lavin chose to do this play over Follies and Other Desert Cities.  It’s a more ferocious role and she is in top form as the lioness Rita Lyons.

Through November 10^th    www.vineyardtheatre.org          108 E. 15 Street NYC

Photo:  Carol Rosegg

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With trademark cigar close at hand and speaking directly to God with his Harry Potter-like eyeglasses, Joel Rooks as George Burns – who made God a household name in a series of high grossing films in the 70’s starts this beautifully written one man show “SAY GOODNIGHT GRACIE” a loving tribute to Mr. Burns and his wife of 42 years, Gracie Allen.  A more loving tribute you will not find on any stage. 

Mr. Rupert Holmes, its author, has fashioned a terrific memoir performed to perfection by Mr. Rooks who was Frank Gorshin’s understudy on Broadway in 2003 and has since played the role nationwide and is now reprising it at St. Luke’s Theatre 308 West 46 Street Friday, Saturday & Sundays at 2.

With the use of original music by Mr. Holmes, vintage projections, movie and television clips, fascinating facts, and the friendly and confidential sharing of them by Mr. Rooks as Mr. Burns we learn about Mr. Burns’ long life in show business (he performed until the age of 98) with the help of Didi Conn who supplies the “Voice of Gracie Allen”.

From flopping in vaudeville to fame on radio to Paramount Pictures to more fame on television to receiving the Oscar for “The Sunshine Boys” we see the love he had for singing, writing and performing and the greatest of his loves the very original Irish girl named Gracie Allen who was his partner on stage and off.

The girl who made “illogical logic” famous and extremely funny with her honest, quirky delivery and unforgettable voice.  At first it was George who was supposed to be the funny guy.  But he soon discovered that the routines he had written came across better with Gracie being the funny girl and he the straight man.  We can all thank God for that.

His best friend was Jack Benny and it’s a delight to hear the many stories about their friendship and their trying to crack each other up.

Growing up watching Jack Benny and Burns and Allen I was particularly taken with the performance and how well put together the show is.  It brought back so many fond memories of laughing in front of my TV set in the 50’s.

For those of you who might not have ever heard of these people I can only hope that you will race down to the St. Luke’s Theatre to find out about them and become new fans of George Burns and Gracie Allen.  And for all of you who want to hear again one of the most famous catch phrases ever – “Say Goodnight Gracie” – you’ll have a great time remembering and reliving those good old days.

85 minutes without intermission.   Staged by William Franzblau                 

www.saygoodnightgracie.net    Photo:  Scott Myers

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How brave and how wonderfully moving this production of LA STRADA is.  Based on the 1954 Academy Award winning film by Federico Fellini and presented by La Strada Company, under the artistic direction of Luis Carlos de La Lombana – the original sold out production which appeared last year at IATI Theater in the East Village is being revived at TBG Theater – 312 West 36 Street through December 4^th.  I urge you to see it – even if you do not speak Spanish. 

There is a simultaneous English translation on a screen of this Spanish version of La Strada written by Gerard Vazquez – above the left side of the stage.   But it is the excellent actors that convey all the emotions you’ll need to understand this purely theatrical presentation of the film.

It is imaginatively co-directed by Rene Buch and Jorge Merced.  The bleak set, a single circular ring with a cinemascopic backdrop of sky (Jason Sturm), reminds us that we are at a circus in the middle of nowhere and then three clowns arrive – Hat (Winston Estevez), Coat (Maria Peyramaure) and Scarf (Israel Ruiz) to the music of a violin (Stephanie Davis), trumpet (Jennifer Harder) and kazoo, played live.  The clowns must come up with a story or be fired.

It is Scarf – an amazingly agile and amusing Israel Ruiz who starts the proceedings in a too long mimed prologue telling the story of a pebble, a chain and a young girl.  He later becomes The Fool – a high wire performer and the man who tries to comfort the forlorn Gelsomina (a sensitive and lovely Nanda Abella) the assistant of Zampano (the magnetic Luis Carlos de La Lombana – who holds his own against any comparisons to Anthony Quinn who portrayed Zampano in the Fellini/Pinelli/Flaiano film.  He is magnificent as he performs his act of breaking the chain across his chest as the simple minded Gelsomina beats the drum as instructed and is brutally treated by this beast of a man.

This love triangle of sorts becomes tragic.  And it is the strength of the actor’s abilities to convey this in another language that is so compelling and heartbreaking.  This story of the young girl sold to Zampano by her mother after her sister died working for him.  She falls in love with the man simply because he takes care of her and sometimes not in a very kind way.  The Fool tried to help but to no avail.

What makes this production so magical is the use of mime, the simple use of the hands to convey doves, the black and white and gray color palette for the costumes (Kanako Hiyama), the on stage application of clown make-up, the kazoo and the toy trumpet.

The film had a magnificent score.  The music used in this production by La Lombana and Caridad Martos will almost make you forget the original.  One theme, used repeatedly, is haunting, melodic and heartbreaking adding to the overall longing and innocence in the eyes of the simple minded and lovely Gelsomina who meets a tragic ending.   www.lastradacompany.com

NOTE:  Mr. Ruiz received the HOLA Award for Outstanding Performance by a Featured Actor Oct 17, 2011 which is so well deserved as his performance is spectacular.  Rene Buch & Jorge Merced received the HOLA for Outstanding Achievement in Direction. 

On November 5^th there will be a talk back after the 3PM performance – “Adapting Fellini to the Stage” which will include Mario Fratti – playwright of the musical NINE based on Fellini’s 8-1/2.

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If you liked the show you are going to love the recording of ELF being released November 1^st, just in time for the gift giving/receiving holiday season.

The CD, released by SH-K-BOOM/GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS, fully captures the spirit of the Broadway show and the true spirit of Christmas with its bouncy, bubbly, Big Band sounding score by Matthew Sklar (music) and smart, witty lyrics by Chad Beguelin.  The liner notes alone by Sheldon Harnick make this one hot collectible album.

To hear song previews and pre-order the CD, visit http://sh-k-boom.com/elfthemusical.shtml.

Elf will put a smile on your face from overture to tap dancing finale with its heartfelt message and tuneful score that sparkles with its own Christmas glow that will even entertain the most jaded Grinches, Scrooges and Riedels of the world.

I thought for sure like the Rockettes at Radio City, ELF would make a return engagement this season.  It hasn’t but you do have the best substitute there can be in this uplifting and “sparklejollytwinklejingley” recording.  Enjoy!  and Merry Christmas to one and all…

Here is my original review of ELF the Broadway show posted 11/18/2010 on Talk Entertainment.com and www.oscaremoore.com

Elf the musical – Holiday Happiness at the Hirschfeld

Oscar E. Moore “from the rear mezzanine” for Talk Entertainment.com

Sometimes even Santa Claus (a droll George Wendt) needs help as is the case in the new family friendly, tuneful, smart and thoroughly enjoyable musical Elf that is here to spread its holiday happiness through January 2nd, 2011 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

Santa’s sleigh won’t budge after crash landing in Central Park as there are not enough believers in Santa Claus these days in the tri state metropolitan area to help propel his distribution of presents.  There is a discernable lack of true Christmas spirit as well. 

And so Buddy the Elf (Sebastian Arcelus) – who grew up at the North Pole – a misplaced human orphan surrounded by fellow elves does the trick.  But not before he finds his real dad (Mark Jacoby) in New York who is on the naughty list, falls in love with Jovie (Amy Spanger) makes believers of his step mom (Beth Leavel – looking great and nailing every laugh) and half brother (lovable Matthew Gumley) experiences revolving doors, learns about paper shredders and tries to impart what it means to enjoy each other – not only for the holidays but all year long while all the time smiling.

For those cynics and Christmas spirit bashing naysayers, I say Humbug to you all.  Go see this show and rediscover your inner child.  Stop and smell the fir trees and enjoy the glistening snowflakes.  You’ll be happier for it.  Yes, Elf is sentimental.  But it is heartfelt sentimentality at work here combined with musical comedy show business expertise that makes Elf so entertaining.

Based on the New Line Cinema film Elf, Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan have delivered quite a humorous book, Chad Beguelin some fun and clever lyrics and Matthew Sklar a jaunty and jingly score that has a few highly memorable songs including “I’ll Believe in You” and the show stopping “Nobody Cares About Santa” with a great Benny Goodman sounding arrangement.  If that number doesn’t do something for you, you are a lost cause.

Scenic designer David Rockwell takes us on a grand tour to the North Pole, Macy’s, Radio City’s ice rink, Tavern on the Green and into the home of Buddy’s dad and his office in the Empire State building where he is a tyrant, under a deadline to come up with a new children’s book idea leaving little time for his family and having to deal with this tall, naïve pest in a green suit with curled up at the toes footwear.  Nice costumes by Gregg Barnes.  But isn’t Jovie on Christmas Eve on a bench in Central Park just a bit freezing in her short red dress and light white sweater?

As Buddy, Sebastian Arcelus gives his all but the ghost of Buddy past, Will Ferrell who starred in the movie, lingers in the mind.  As good as Arcelus is and he is very good he is missing that nebbishy/cuddly factor that makes Ferrell so endearing.

The rest of the cast sparkle like stars in the sky and seem to enjoy spreading the good cheer rustled up by director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw.  Michael Mandell and Valerie Wight are two more very special gifts to savor in this holiday show destined to make many theatergoers think twice about what they want for Christmas.

www.ElfMusical.com

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Your enjoyment of RELATIVELY SPEAKING, three one-act comedies by Ethan Coen “Talking Cure” – Elaine May “George is Dead” and Woody Allen “Honeymoon Motel” will depend entirely on your definition of comedy and what you find funny. 

You may have a change of heart after seeing these plays at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre featuring some very good actors including Marlo Thomas, Julie Kavner and Steve Guttenberg in some very mediocre material.

All three are loosely directed by John Turturro.  It appears that the writers and the actors progressively lose steam as the evening unfolds.

Ethan Coen’s darkly humorous play, “Talking Cure” deals with a Doctor (Jason Kravits) interviewing a Patient, Larry (a superb Danny Hoch) in a mental facility.  The patient is adamant that he has no problem even though he has had an incident with someone at the Post Office where he is employed.  It is extremely funny until we go to a flashback and meet Larry’s parents.  His mom is pregnant with him and all they do is argue about Hitler.  The final joke is one of the funniest of the evening.  SHORT INTERVAL

Danny Hoch & Jason Kravits

Elaine May has written a star vehicle for herself “George is Dead” and has cast Marlo Thomas in the part of Doreen.  Her husband has just been killed in an avalanche in Aspen and she has no one to turn to except Carla (Lisa Emery) the daughter of her old nanny (Patricia O’Connell). 

She arrives at midnight, knocking on the door looking like Charo, seeking comfort and refuge and some Brie cheese and insisting that Carla take the salt off the saltines.  She has never grown up and still acts like a spoiled rich debutante.  Carla has her own problems with her husband Michael (Grant Shaud) as she has missed going to an important speech because of her needful mother. 

All this is funny up to a point.  Then we begin to be bored by Doreen’s antics – she is unable to even make funeral arrangements.  Marlo Thomas, in a blond wig and pink frock is unrecognizable except for the trademark raspy voice.  Her comic timing is still spot on.  But by the time the body arrives we have long since given up caring and laughing.  INTERMISSION.

Marlo Thomas & Lisa Emery

The song, “I’m Old Fashioned” starts off Woody Allen’s “Honeymoon Motel”.  And it is.  I thought humor like this went out with The Show of Shows starring Sid Caesar.  In fact Mr. Caesar would have made a great Rabbi Baumel (Richard Libertini) wagging finger and penis envy jokes and Borscht Belt schtick et al.

Tuxedoed Jerry Spector (a great Steve Guttenberg) arrives at the Motel’s tacky and garish suite complete with spa and round bed with Nina Roth (Ari Graynor) in her wedding gown directly after he had interrupted her nuptials to his step son Paul (Bill Army) and run off with her.  She loves the much older Jerry, not Paul.  Judy Spector (an hysterical Caroline Aaron) is not amused but has the one other memorable funny line of the evening that deals with a bracelet and its inscription.

Ari Graynor & Steve Guttenberg

The parents of the bride Fay Roth (Julie Kavner) and Sam (Mark Linn-Baker) add to the farce which also runs out of steam, one-liners and sex jokes until the Pizza man arrives Sal Buonacotti (Danny Hoch) in another memorable performance who ties up the unwinding events with his philosophy of life – forgive and forget.

Which is exactly what I intend to do after posting this review.

www.relativelyspeakingbroadway.com  Photo:  Joan Marcus

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Joseph Douaihy (a remarkable Santino Fontana) and his brother Charles (an excellent Chris Perfetti) are gay, Lebanese, and distantly related to Kahlil Gibran author of THE PROPHET where the catch-phrase “All is Well” seems to be the panacea for every problem.

Playwright Stephen Karam has fashioned an interesting, low key, very funny and sometimes gripping new slice of life play SONS OF THE PROPHET dealing with pain and suffering after this tome which is directed in an almost lethargic manner by Peter DuBois.

The brothers live in Nazareth Pennsylvania.  Being gay is the least of the many problems plaguing these siblings.  In fact it isn’t a problem at all.  Charles is out but has problems hearing as he was born with one ear that has been surgically replicated.  He is open about all he does and says and hears. 

Joseph has knee problems, wears braces and limps.  Their father has recently died as a result of a heart attack brought about or maybe not by a car accident when Vin (Jonathan Louis Dent – “a mulato”) who on a dare put up a deer decoy which caused said accident. 

Joseph is also beset by a series of strange symptoms which has made him take a job at a small publishing company so that he can get health insurance coverage, run by a rich, deranged woman – Gloria (a wacky Joanna Gleason) who has a couple of bad habits:  drugs, showing up unexpectedly and receiving phony phone calls when she needs to avoid certain situations.  Her husband has recently committed suicide.

Uncle Bill (Yusef Bulos) uses a walker and has respiratory problems – traipsing around with oxygen tubes.  But that doesn’t stop him from wisecracking in the best politically incorrect Archie Bunker style.  He’s moved in with the boys and has a tiny downstairs bathroom where the door doesn’t close completely.

Joseph meets up accidentally – or is it? with reporter Timothy (Charles Socarides) at a bus station waiting for the snow to stop.  He is also gay.  They strike up a friendship.  Timothy wants to cover the “accident” and family connection to the author of The Prophet and Gloria wants to make her big comeback with its publication.

Vin has written an apology which is read aloud at a school board meeting that bleeds out into the audience in a very amusing scene with Lizbeth Mackay and Dee Nelson – but is it so that he can play on the team or is it heartfelt?  Is he also using the family?

Playwright Stephen Karam puts a lot on his plate.  Lots for the audience to digest.   It deals with many subjects – symbolic and otherwise.  You will think and feel and perhaps identify uncomfortably with all the suffering on stage.  Suffering that is peppered with satirical and not so subtle barbs with overlapping dialogue and very true to life situations. 

Laughter may be the best medicine and Mr. Karam seems to have us believe, and rightfully so, that to get through all the pain and suffering one has to have a sense of humor to survive. 

Extended through Jan. 1^st at the Roundabout Laura Pels Theatre.  www.roundabouttheatre.org

Photo:  Joan Marcus

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