BWW Reviews: Fast Paced ANIMAL CRACKERS Opens Williamstown Theatre Fest

As big a deal in this community as a WIlliams College graduation, opening night of the Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF) has always been an important event,. Known for favoring the classics and new plays, the company is not usually described as a place where insanity rules but last night tradition got turned on its head when ANIMAL CRACKERS opened. And true to the tradition of WTF it was indeed great theatre, recapturing the flapper era and its humor in a fantastic feel-good musical that brought the house down. The Marx Brothers landed with their merry mayhem on the stage of the '62 Center.

Even though the book by the venerable writers George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind was adapted for this new production by its director Henry Wishcamper, it never was more than convenient piffle to thread the various scenes together in some sort of coherent logic. This is a musical that straddles the era between vaudeville and true musical theatre where the words finally become as integral as the music. In editing the book, Wishcamper retained all of the famous lines and routines made famous by the comedians, and still managed to somehow excise about fifteen minutes of blather to shorten the running time for today's audiences. He also made sure that Groucho had several topical references to connect ANIMAL CRACKERS to the present day.

So ANIMAL CRACKERS is not all Marx Brothers style comedy - that would be overkill - instead it has a variety of subplots, romances and mysteries to propel it through its two hours plus running time. Beautiful dancing, singing and music keep the pace varied and delightful.

As guests arrive at the Rittenhouse estate, the Marx Brothers are introduced one by one, and each quickly establishes his signature oversized comic personality. As Groucho, Joey Slotnick never stops moving, his arms and legs are in constant motion, and with his eyebrows arching, eyes flashing and rolling, he lets loose a torrent of snippy zingers. You have to really listen to hear the endless logic-turning stream of puns, ham-on-wry and non-sequiturs that pepper his banter. Like the whole show itself, it is a performance that is as wondrous as it is timeless.

Williamstown's artistic director Jenny Gersten is unique among regional theatre directors. While her rolodex is full of the important Broadway names and contacts, she also keeps a watchful eye on the Chicago theatre scene, as evidenced by her first two seasons where she brought some of that city's brightest directors to the Berkshires.

For this production, she reassembled the Goodman Theatre's creative team of director Wishcamper, choreographer John Carrafa and coach Paul Kalina. In the program, Kalina has been promoted from "Clowning Director" to "Director of Physical Comedy." The PTB could have gone a step further and given the title of "Masters of Physical Comedy" to include an incredible Slotnick, and the other Marx clowns, Jonathan Brody as Emmanuel Ravelli (Chico), Brad Aldous as The Professor (Harpo). and Adam Chandler-Beret who fills out the quartet as Jamison (Zeppo).

The original Broadway production had an amazing 69 actors in the company of ANIMAL CRACKERS and another two dozen musicians in the pit. It was an extravaganza, and it played 191 performances in the 44th Street Theatre. Like so many great theatres, the place is gone now, but during its life, it hosted a rooftop theatre and basement cafe in addition to the main stage, and each had some success, with the latter well known as the Stage Door Canteen during the 1940s. In 1945, it was razed to add to the New York Times building.

In this economy-sized box of ANIMAL CRACKERS, the original 69 are pared down to nine players, all of whom double and triple as need dictates, including the four Marx Brothers themselves. Amazingly, you rarely notice the truncated size, not even in the orchestral arrangements which make a joyous sound with just six players plus the musical director, Kris Kukul. Such are the economics of producing theatre in the United States today without a Daddy Warbucks to pay for a large cast.

We don't get to see many of the 1920's musicals and those that arrive on stage are by necessity in smaller packages, The Drowsy Chaperone (2006) a re-imagining of the period, pared it down to a dozen actors. However, WTF found a way to put dozens on stage in ANIMAL CRACKERS as the apprentices joined in during the sleep scene, whirling colorful ribbons to evoke the visual image of everyone happily snoring and dreaming away. It was imaginative, spectacular and though it only lasted a minute, totally unforgettable.

Even briefer was the cameo in which Artistic Director Jenny Gersten was seen being chased through the theatre, her pony tail flying behind her, with the insatiable Harpo hot in pursuit.

The Goodman's scenic designer Robin Vest was tapped to recreate the fabulous ballroom of the Rittenhouse mansion, as was Jenny Mannis whose costumes were wittily outrageous, and just as snazzy as you could ask for. She outdid herself in the second act for the entrance of the Queen with Groucho riding on her tail, as well as for the "Four of the Three Musketeers" feathery finale. When the lovers Mary (Renee Elise Goldsberry) and John (Adam Chanler-Berat) croon the gorgeous duet "Watching the Clouds Roll By" the ballroom's curtains rise to reveal a scene of blule skies,roiling clouds, and dancing angels in puffy skirts. Nothing lasts forever and soon the romantic scene in interrupted by goofiness from the Marx Brothers that was so unexpected and well done that the set itself got a round of applause.

One should never be surprised at the superb production values of the Williamstown Theatre Festival. This ANIMAL CRACKERS is no exception, being downright handsome, extravagant and winsome in appearance, and near perfect in execution. Its dozen plus scenes flash before you in a series of sometimes silly, sometimes mock-serious styles. In one of Groucho's signature monologues, he invokes the ghost of Eugene O'Neill and the play Strange Interlude. As the lights dim, Groucho emotes, delivering impressions of America's most verbose playwright...who woulda thought? A stranger moment of theater is almost impossible to imagine.

ANIMAL CRACKERS is fine for the young ones, too, since other than throwing a leg on top of a society matron now and then, the sexual antics are strictly old school. So let's all join in one final chorus of "Hooray for Captain Spaulding!" ANIMAL CRACKERS is brilliant mischief, powered by both the magic of 21st Century theatrical artistry and those four quintessential and beloved comic figures from America's past. Old is new again in Willliamstown.

The Williamstown Theatre Festival presents ANIMAL CRACKERS with Book by Geroge S. Kaufman & Morrie Ryskind, Music and Lyrics by Bert Kalmar & Harry Ruby, Scenic Design-Robin Vest; Costume Design-Jenny Mannis; Lighting Design-Matthew Richards; Sound Design-Drew Levy; Original Orchestrations-Doug Peck; Music Director-Kris Kukul; Production Stage Manager-David Sugarman; Production Manager-Eric Nottke; Casting-Calleri Casting; Director of Physical Comedy- Paul Kalina; Choreographer-John Carrafa; Adapted & Directed by Henry Wishcamper. CAST: Hives, Roscoe W. Chandler, et al. - Jacob Ming-Trent; Footman, The Professor, et al. - Brad Aldous; Footman, Emmanuel Ravelli, et al. - Jonathan Brody; Footman, Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding, et al. - Joey Slotnick; Mrs. Rittenhouse, et al. - Ellen Harvey; Monsieur Doucet, Wally Winston, et al. - Joey Sorge; Arabella Rittenhouse, Mrs. Whitehead, et al. - Mara Davi; Grace Carpenter, Mary, et al. - Renee Elise Goldsberry; John Parker, Horatius Jamison, et al. - Adam Chanler-Berat; Stage Manager Johnny Milani; Dance Captain - Mara Davi. Main Stage of the '62 Center, Main Street, Williamstown, MA June 25-July 13, 2013. wtfestival.org 413.597.3400

Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Pictured (L to R): Mara Davi (Arabella Rittenhouse), Jonathan Brody, Joey Slotnick (GROUCHO-Captain Spaulding), Adam Chanler-Berat (ZEPPO-Horatius Jamison) and Joey Sorge (Wally Winston).