'Brooklyn Boy' and 'Godspell'

With homage to the famous ad for Levy's Jewish Rye bread, you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy "Brooklyn Boy" nor do you have to be Christian to enjoy "Godspell."

These two productions are running simultaneously at the Olney Theatre Center along with the the DC premiere of Michael Frayn's Broadway hit "Democracy" which has just opened and runs to Aug. 12. Is it any wonder why Olney was listed by "Money" magazine as the 17^th best place in the country to live?  Can any theater in the region boast this kind of a line-up of great theater at such affordable prices with FREE parking, and Gifford's ice cream for sale at intermission? I've noticed the OTC has been placing expensive full page ads in the back page of the Baltimore Sun's Thursday's "LIVE" section attempting to get the message out about the OTC And now that there is no longer a theater column in the Baltimore Sun (at the moment anyway), I hope their plan works.

 "Brooklyn Boy" is a brilliant work by playwright Donald Margulies and the musical "Godspell" by Stephen Schwartz (WICKED) is performed by a terrific group of young actors of the Olney Theatre Center's young artist education program, the Olney Theatre Institute.

 Brooklyn Boy

I have been a fan of Donald Margulies ever since I saw his delightful "The Loman Family Picnic" at Center Stage and "Dinner with Friends" which won the Pulitzer Prize. This is one talented writer.

I recall the successful Off-Broadway production in 2005 which starred Adam Arkin and Polly Draper.

 One way to judge the success of a production is attendance. "Brooklyn Boy" has been selling out so many performances that OTC decided and was to extend performances one more week until August 12. This is good news for theatergoers for you should not miss this funny and yet moving play.

 The story involves Eric Weiss, a newly respected successful author who has achieved success by writing a fictionalization of his days in Brooklyn. If you have seen Billy Crystal's tribute to his father and his bringing up in New York in "700 Sundays", you will no doubt see similarities. Crystal's youth started in Long Island, Weiss in his novel, discusses his roots and his Jewishness.

Paul Morella portrays Eric with bravado. The play opens when Eric visits his ill father, Manny (Howard Elfman) at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn. Elfman is superb and believable as a former shoe salesman who is having a hard time adjusting to the recent success of his son.  Eric is so proud to show his Dad his novel, with his photo on the back cover and the dedication "To My Father and Mother". And what is his Dad's reply? "You could have mentioned our names!"  Manny instead of congratulating his son on being on "The Today Show", wonders why he didn't wear a tie.  There's more funny stuff here.  While Manny is close to death, Eric has a hard time understanding his father's aloofness.

There is not much communication between father and son. Eric has not informed his father of the demise of his marriage and must justify somehow why there is no grandchild on the agenda.

There's a wonderful scene in the hospital cafeteria between Eric and his best friend from the 'ol neighborhood, Ira (Ethan T. Bowen). Eric has read the book and immediately notices a character in the novel which very closely resembles him in his youth. Bowen is convincing and heartwarming in his role. He sees the emptiness in Eric's life and his empathy towards his old friend is dismissed rapidly.

Act I ends with the reality of Eric's unsuccessful marriage. Wife Nine (Lee Mikesha Gardner) is depressed about her unsuccessful career, her husband's book on the Best-Seller list, and a failed marriage.

Act II moves to California where Hollywood is prepared to turn Eric's novel into a film. The night before the meeting at Paramount Pictures, Eric is in his hotel room with a beautiful, young college student Alison (Emerie Snyder) who he has met at a book signing.  Would you like to take an opportunity to write this scene between a depressed separated husband who may soon turn his novel into a major motion picture?   It's a terrific and surprising encounter.

 The funniest scene concerns the meeting at Paramount between Eric, the studio executive Melanie Fine (Halo Wines), and her choice for the leading man in the film Tyler Shaw (Paul Cereghino). The problem she sees is the same problem televison networks had with the original version of Carl Reiner's "Dick Van Dyke Show".  "It's just too ethnic. It's one thing to be Jewish in a book. It's another to be Jewish in a movie. You can see them."  She goes on, "Reduce the Jewish quotient. Everybody's Jewish!"

 I will not disclose what happens in the final scene. It takes place in the apartment of Eric's deceased father. Bring tissues.

 Congratulations to Director Jim Petosa who will be missed as Artistic Director of the OTC. The upcoming season will be his last.

GODSPELL

What a brilliant idea to open the show which tells the story of the Gospel According to St. Matthew….the sound of the Shofer!  "Godspell" is a pageant of clowning, pantomime, charades, acrobatics and vaudeville. Conceived and originally directed by John-Michael Tebelak and music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (yes, the same composer of "Wicked"), this production is under the auspices of Olney Theatre Center's young artist education program, the Olney Theatre Institute. The cast is made up mainly of college students and are they talented!  This family friendly production (kids can attend for half-price) is full of fun, great music, and an exuberant and energetic cast.  When Act I ends, the audience is invited onstage for organic grape juice (courtesy of Safeway). I was reminded of my first time on a Broadway stage during the intermission of "Cats". Well, the children who braved the steps on stage were in awe meeting the cast. I told them all to take a shower. They were shvitzing!

This is a great vehicle to introduce the younger group to theater. Luke Smith (Jesus) is worth the price of admission.  As soon as the show began, I was thrilled and honored to watch him perform. It was later when I saw his profile that I saw that he has performed at the Signature Theatre in "Saving Aimee" and "My Fair Lady". But the entire cast is talented. They each get an opportunity to shine and how thrilling it must be for these young actors to work in such a great setting under the tutelage of the OTI Director, Eve Muson who has put together an impressive team. The costumes (by Vasilija Zivanic) are funny, colorful, clever, and sometimes weird…but they all work. The terrific music is played by a four member orchestra pit under Alvin Ellsworth Hough, Jr. and they sound great. So does the sound of the production by Sound Designer Matt Otto. I can't say enough of the clever set by Patrick K. Tennant, great dancing (Lee Sunday Evans) and superb lighting by Justin Thomas.

You will also hear great music from one of the masters of the recent Broadway stage, Steven Schwartz. It was 1971 when Schwartz wrote the music for "Godspell". You'll recognize many of the tunes like "Beautiful City", "We Beeseech Thee", "Prepare Ye (The Way of the Lord), and "Day by Day". 

 Head to Olney to see the future of theater: Florrie Bagel, Caroline Bowman, Andrew Boza, Laura Gepford, LC Harden, Jr., Patricia Hurley, Miguel Jarquin-Moreland, Boo Killebrew, Rebecca LaChance, Gregory Joseph Twomey, Vishal Vaidya, and as mentioned above, Luke Smith.

And at intermission, they even offer Gifford's ice-cream.

"Godspell" ends July 29 while "Brooklyn Boy" and "Democracy" end Aug. 12. Make it a trifecta!! For tickets, call 301-924-3400 or visit www.olneytheatre.org.  

For comments, write to cgshubow@broadwayworld.com.

Photos by Stan Barouh; 1) Ethan T. Bowen as childhood friend, Ira Zimmer, and Paul Morella as Novelist Eric Weiss; 2) Paul Morella; 3) Paul Morella and Emerie Snyder; 4) company members Miguel Jarquin-Moreland, Vishal Vaidya, and Caroline Bowman; 5) Miguel Jarquin-Moreland; 6) Boo Killebrew

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