#1
Posted: 10/30/06 at 2:05pm
Well, now that autumn is here and there's a slight chill in the air, theatregoers looking ot warm their spirits have several new comedies to choose from. In addition to the recently opened MY DEAH by John "Lypsinka" Epperson which campily sets the classic Medea tale in the gothic south (I'll be seeing that later in the week), there are two other gay-themed comedies currently previewing at the moment. Penned by two contemporary masters of the caustic one-liner, Paul Rudnick (JEFFREY, THE MOST FABUOUS STORY EVER TOLD) and Douglas Carter Beane (AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN), both take on present day issues of the queer community with acerbic wit and satirical bite. If neither work is a particularly trenchant or insightful examination of the issues it raises, both are nonetheless quite amusing light entertainments that are well worth seeing.
Rudnick's REGRETS ONLY (playing at the Manhattan Theater Club's City Center Stage I) deals with the question of gay marriage. In it, Hank Hadley (George Grizzard), an older notable fashion designer in the Bill Blass mold has recently lost his long time partner to cancer. He's paying a social visit to his old friend, vapid socialite Tibby McCullough (Christine Baranski) in her swanky apartment, following an absence of several months, during which time he was taking care of his lover. Also on hand is her husband Jack (David Rasche), a high-powered Manhattan attorney and their daughter Spencer (Diane Davis), who's also an attorney and announces that she has just gotten engaged and wants Hank to design her wedding dress.
All is well and nicely convivial until Jack receives a phone call from the President, asking for his help in drafting some gay marriage legislation and wants him to come to Washington immediately. Jack agrees and while he expresses some sight misgivings to those assembled ("I didn't even vote for the man"), he decides to jump at the opportunity and invites his daughter to join him, and she happily agrees. Sensing some discomfort on the part of Hank (and to a lesser degree the apolitical Tibby), a conversation follows, taking the form of a mock debate on the merits, pro and con, of gay marriage, as well as the very nature of marriage as an institution. Without going into too much further detail, Jack and Spencer end up departing for DC, leaving some unresolved hurt feeings in their wake.
Act II opens several months later on the day of Spencer's wedding. Chaos rules the day for reasons I won't go into here -- let's just say that Rudnick employs an absurdist twist (that is a variation on a satirical conceit Douglas Turner Ward used in his play DAY OF ABSENCE) in order to make a point about the social and political importance of gays within society. If it strains credulity, it nevertheless makes for a very funny second act.
The cast is mostly superb, deftly handling Rudnick's endless stream of one-liners. Baranski is marvelously winning as Tibby, the high class society matron who manages to ultimately find a conscience. Grizzard brings his usual grace to the role of Hank, conveying style and gravitas with ease. Jackie Hoffman, as the McCullough's eccentric Jewish maid, has been given free reign to be ......... well, Jackie Hoffman, acting as quick comic relief throughout, barging in throughout the play delivering one-liners in various accents and costumes (yes, she's too much and over-the-top, to the point that some will find her irritating while others will see her schtick as hysterical -- count me in the latter camp). And finally, Sian Phillips must get special mention for all but walking off with Act II as Tibby's frazzled yet genteel mother.
Rudnick's usual director of choice, Christopher Ashley, keeps things moving briskly throughout. Michael Yeargan's stunning apartment set is the very picture of posh elegance and William Ivey Long has created some lovely gowns for the ladies.
A few blocks downtown from City Center, Beane's comedy, LITTLE DOG LAUGHED has made the leap to Broadway's Cort Theater, following a successful run last season at Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre. Thankfully, Julie White is still on hand, repeating her dazzling Obie-winning turn as the venal, amoral Hollywood agent, who's trying keep her client, a secretly gay up-and-coming leading man, from destroying his (and more importantly HER) career, by coming out of the closet after falling in love with a hustler he meets one drunken evening at the beginning of the play. Johnny Galecki ("Roseanne") has also returned as the winsome and somewhat befuddled young hustler. Taking over as the closeted movie star is Tom Everett Scott ("Saved"), who makes a stronger, more believable impression in the role, than did his predecessor. And filling out the quartet as the hustler's girlfriend is Arye Graynor (DOG SEES GOD, BROOKLYN BOY), who makes the most of a still slightly underwritten role (though it's to her credit and to a bit of rewriting on Beane's part that the character no longer seems to be merely a plot device).
While I suppose the play does serve as an interesting commentary on the the present day realities of the Hollywood closet and the behind the scenes maneuverings of the celebrity publicity machine, it, like the subject itself, is rather superficial and inconsequential. This is the story of a bunch of individuals who are so frivolous, conniving and self-absorbed that when one makes the decision late in the play to take a decent, principled stand, the gesture rings false and hollow given everything that has happened to that point. Not to mention, while various characters claim at various points to have strong emotional feelings for one another, ultimately it is clear that no one in this play cares about anyone but himself.
LITTLE DOG LAUGHED is a very cynical comedy about a highly amusing group of easily corruptable opportunists. However, it isn't mean-spirited and it contains enough sharp-edged humor to make for a perversely entertaining evening.
http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/
Rudnick's REGRETS ONLY (playing at the Manhattan Theater Club's City Center Stage I) deals with the question of gay marriage. In it, Hank Hadley (George Grizzard), an older notable fashion designer in the Bill Blass mold has recently lost his long time partner to cancer. He's paying a social visit to his old friend, vapid socialite Tibby McCullough (Christine Baranski) in her swanky apartment, following an absence of several months, during which time he was taking care of his lover. Also on hand is her husband Jack (David Rasche), a high-powered Manhattan attorney and their daughter Spencer (Diane Davis), who's also an attorney and announces that she has just gotten engaged and wants Hank to design her wedding dress.
All is well and nicely convivial until Jack receives a phone call from the President, asking for his help in drafting some gay marriage legislation and wants him to come to Washington immediately. Jack agrees and while he expresses some sight misgivings to those assembled ("I didn't even vote for the man"), he decides to jump at the opportunity and invites his daughter to join him, and she happily agrees. Sensing some discomfort on the part of Hank (and to a lesser degree the apolitical Tibby), a conversation follows, taking the form of a mock debate on the merits, pro and con, of gay marriage, as well as the very nature of marriage as an institution. Without going into too much further detail, Jack and Spencer end up departing for DC, leaving some unresolved hurt feeings in their wake.
Act II opens several months later on the day of Spencer's wedding. Chaos rules the day for reasons I won't go into here -- let's just say that Rudnick employs an absurdist twist (that is a variation on a satirical conceit Douglas Turner Ward used in his play DAY OF ABSENCE) in order to make a point about the social and political importance of gays within society. If it strains credulity, it nevertheless makes for a very funny second act.
The cast is mostly superb, deftly handling Rudnick's endless stream of one-liners. Baranski is marvelously winning as Tibby, the high class society matron who manages to ultimately find a conscience. Grizzard brings his usual grace to the role of Hank, conveying style and gravitas with ease. Jackie Hoffman, as the McCullough's eccentric Jewish maid, has been given free reign to be ......... well, Jackie Hoffman, acting as quick comic relief throughout, barging in throughout the play delivering one-liners in various accents and costumes (yes, she's too much and over-the-top, to the point that some will find her irritating while others will see her schtick as hysterical -- count me in the latter camp). And finally, Sian Phillips must get special mention for all but walking off with Act II as Tibby's frazzled yet genteel mother.
Rudnick's usual director of choice, Christopher Ashley, keeps things moving briskly throughout. Michael Yeargan's stunning apartment set is the very picture of posh elegance and William Ivey Long has created some lovely gowns for the ladies.
A few blocks downtown from City Center, Beane's comedy, LITTLE DOG LAUGHED has made the leap to Broadway's Cort Theater, following a successful run last season at Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre. Thankfully, Julie White is still on hand, repeating her dazzling Obie-winning turn as the venal, amoral Hollywood agent, who's trying keep her client, a secretly gay up-and-coming leading man, from destroying his (and more importantly HER) career, by coming out of the closet after falling in love with a hustler he meets one drunken evening at the beginning of the play. Johnny Galecki ("Roseanne") has also returned as the winsome and somewhat befuddled young hustler. Taking over as the closeted movie star is Tom Everett Scott ("Saved"), who makes a stronger, more believable impression in the role, than did his predecessor. And filling out the quartet as the hustler's girlfriend is Arye Graynor (DOG SEES GOD, BROOKLYN BOY), who makes the most of a still slightly underwritten role (though it's to her credit and to a bit of rewriting on Beane's part that the character no longer seems to be merely a plot device).
While I suppose the play does serve as an interesting commentary on the the present day realities of the Hollywood closet and the behind the scenes maneuverings of the celebrity publicity machine, it, like the subject itself, is rather superficial and inconsequential. This is the story of a bunch of individuals who are so frivolous, conniving and self-absorbed that when one makes the decision late in the play to take a decent, principled stand, the gesture rings false and hollow given everything that has happened to that point. Not to mention, while various characters claim at various points to have strong emotional feelings for one another, ultimately it is clear that no one in this play cares about anyone but himself.
LITTLE DOG LAUGHED is a very cynical comedy about a highly amusing group of easily corruptable opportunists. However, it isn't mean-spirited and it contains enough sharp-edged humor to make for a perversely entertaining evening.
http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
Updated On: 10/30/06 at 02:05 PM
