MINSKY'S a World Premier Musical
MINSKY’S: The New Musical Comedy. Book by Bob Martin, Music by Charles Strouse
Lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, Original Book by Evan Hunter, Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw: World Premiere. Central Theatre Group, Ahmanson Theatre, 135 Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA; 213-628-2772 or www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.
January 21 – March 1, 2009
THE PLACE TO GO TO UNWIND
Very late in this exciting fun filled show, Mary (charming Katharine Leonard ) the uptight lead female love interest, the daughter of Randolph Sumner (a hilarious George Wendt , yes that George Wendt of TV fame in “Cheers”) a crusading reformer/moralist, confesses, “I’m wound up tight as ball and come here to unravel.” The word “unravel” is best replaced with “unwind” and this is the place to do it.
Earlier in the this musical that involves the dying days of burlesque during the 1930s depression, Billy Minsky (pitch perfect Christopher Fitzgerald) insists that audiences want to escape into the world of fun and make believe and his show, playing in a walk-up 3rd floor theatre, is serving a useful purpose. With the impending and actual economic meltdown, such a purpose is a timely noble gesture. If you need to unwind, or just have a laugh and giggle provided by a great cast and production team, the Ahmanson Theatre is the place to go and thoroughly enjoy two hours and 25 minutes (with intermission) “Minsky.”
It is not a perfect show and some of the broad shtick, such as pies in the face, the Dr. Vinkle (Blake Hammond) and Dr. Vankle (Matt Loehr) psychiatrist routine and the doctor-dyslexic nurse skit, go on far to long but these lapses can be corrected and are over come by the fantastic cast, costumes (Gregg Barnes), sets (Anna Louizos), directing/choreography (Casey Nicholaw of “Drowsy Chaperone” fame) and serviceable score, much of which is derivative but carry the plot line adequately. The Act one closing number “Every Number Needs a Button” and the 10-minute second act opening scene tap dance to the song “Tap Happy” is worth one quarter the price of admission.
Based on the movie “The Night That they Raided Minsky’s” from Rowland Barber’s book of the same name, this show has had a 10 year gestational period. The duo of Bob Martin and Casey Nicholaw who put together the vastly popular “Drowsy Chaperone” has, for the first time, teamed with Tony Award nominee songwriters Charles Strouse and Susan Birkenhead with favorable results. Short in stature but a tireless giant on stage, Christopher Fitzgerald plays Billy Minsky who is trying to save his bawdy-risqué show from those who would shut it down. The lead bad guy is the fore mentioned daddy, Randolph Sumner, who would feather his political nest with a closure of the show. A major complication arises when Billy falls in love with repressed beauty Mary Sumner
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Mary hatches a completely silly scheme to infiltrate the show, which includes daddy getting in drag, to entrap the company in “unlawful” shenanigans. Putting corpulent George Wendt in drag and teaming him up with Gerry Vichi, playing Top Banana Scratch, is a stroke of genius. Vichi, a big hit in “Drowsy Chaperone”, combines the wit and stage presence of luminaries such as Eddie Foy, Sr. and Bert Lahr who cut their teeth in burlesque.
Beth Leavel (Maisie) winner of multiple awards for her performance as the Drowsy Chaperone on Broadway stops the show twice with the rousing “You Gotta Get Up When Your Down” and “Home” that will remind you of such blockbuster songs as “There is No Business Like Show Business.” Rachel Dratch, a former “Saturday Night Live” alumnus extracts the maximum from her role as Beula with her deadpan delivery of "I Want A Life" and as a stand in for the sexy girl in the banana costume. The show is full of double entendres with concupiscent (I have always wanted to use that word in a review . . . it means sexual) meanings to “give the boys a thrill”, such as “who needs men when you wear bananas” and Keystone cop mentality suggesting “spontaneous discharge!”
Throw in the great ensemble acting and dancing with the above mentioned facts and you have the other three quarters of your money’s worth. See it before it goes on to Broadway.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
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