BWW Reviews: HOLLYWOOD AND BROADWAY - Destination to Avoid

Hollywood and Broadway/written by Octavio Carlin/directed by Octavio Carlin/ Hudson Guild Theatre/thru March 22, 2015

Fashion designer Octavio Carlin's attempt at writing and directing his world premiere Hollywood and Broadway unfortunately might not merit a career change for him. Aficionados of epic scenery chewing could find much to enjoy in this over-acting, diva spewing, high camp ninety minutes. Audiences looking for laughs and more conventional entertainment may possibly need to find another destination.

Kudos to set designer Ricardo Mora for his Aster Hotel VIP waiting room with lush fabrics, an abundance of flower-filled vases, and tasteful artwork on the walls. Curious that an integral piece of stage business - making calls on the rotary telephone - seems so cumbersome, placed on such a tiny table to awkwardly maneuver.

Beginning action of this 'comedy' has two Aster Hotel employees prepping the VIP room for the arrival of stars Tallulah Bankhead and Gloria Swanson. The divas have to share the room prior to receiving a shared celebrity of the year award. One of the employees' actually a jewel thief.

Olivia Choate fares the best in being over-the-top as her Tallulah Bankhead requires such drama. Choate succeeds in flashes of her Bankhead impersonation. Terrence Gene Taylor preens and telegraphs each of his lines as Lucas, the butler/jewel thief. As Gloria Swanson's invited guest-minor actress Aileen Pringle, Christina Lemon's constant affected delivery with emphasis on every other word gets very tiresome. The most 'normal' speaking of this cast of five - Danny Menendez as Bradford, the Hotel Clerk; and for some inexplicable reason, Kat Brower in her interpretation of Gloria Swanson. No glimmer of Swanson's essence here. Menendez' long monologue near the end seems to be in the style of a more naturalistic play. Menendez' pre-performance announcements/instructions as the Hotel Clerk seemed to elicit the biggest chuckles of the show.

With all the actors on the same high-dramatics page, the culpability would have to be the director's. Undertakings at using physical comedy bits (spitting drinks on another's face, improperly hanging a furcoat, half-hearted hair pullings) fail to illicit the audience reactions intended.

I do applaud everyone's effort in this flawed production.

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