By Eva Trieger
SOLANA BEACH, California –If you were having a bit of trepidation that you’d be comparing Neil Simon’s play or the 1970s TV series and be left wanting…..don’t be a schlemiel. Matt Thompson delivers a performance that would make Jack Klugman kvell!!! Louis Lotorto, as Felix Unger, has completely mastered every niggling, annoying quirk and even his sinus honking is mellifluous. The entire cast has such synergy that they bounce off each other’s quips and jabs as comfortably as a bagel bedecked with a slather of cream cheese and a slab of Nova.
A few months ago I read the script, and only now can I admit that I was afraid that the play which opens Saturday evening, April 13, would be a bit dated and dog eared. Under Andy Barnicle’s direction, every character effused life, personality and credibility. Murray the Cop (Bernard Kopsho), who previously thrilled audiences in North Coast Repertory Theatre’s “Lend Me a Tenor”, is compassionate, cuddly and comic. Roy (Albert Par), the meticulous accountant, provides a feisty foil to Oscar’s spendthrift persona. Speed (John Nutten) an NCRT veteran, embodies an acerbic “guy’s guy”, while Vinnie (Cris O’Bryan) is the mild mannered family man, kowtowing to his wife’s predilections to vacation in Miami in the off-season. Two adorable “birds” grace the stage as well, Cecily and Gwendolyn Partridge, the British neighbor sisters for whom Oscar is lusting.
After Oscar takes pity on Felix and asks him to move in, all of the latter’s idiosyncrasies take their toll on the kindhearted Madison. Even the boys complain that their poker game has gone awry and the neat freak has destroyed the manly atmosphere of smoke, stale potato chips, and warm beer. A heated argument ensues and Oscar sends his roommate packing.
I have no wish to be a spoiler, so you’ll have to come see the ole gang for yourself. The dialogue is fresh, the banter is genuine and the fun is continuous. The show’s sentimental moments are palpable and the actors are magnificent in their ability to joke, argue, reconcile and love.
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Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eva.trieger@sdjewishworld.com