Digging Up Dad
While it’s no “Growing Up Gotti,” Cris D’Annunzio’s one-man show bravely chronicles his difficult Italian American childhood as he uncovers the source of his bitter resentment recently laid to rest. At least he knows where the body’s buried, but when he starts digging for the truth about his father’s suspicious death it only raises more questions, cash and mob threats in this heartfelt seriocomedy at the Ruskin Group Theatre.
Developed from a monologue written by D’Annunzio when he auditioned for Kevin Spacey, (with whom he bears a close resemblance), the former NFL player for the Buffalo Bills was encouraged by Spacey to finish what he had started as just a ruse into a fully fledged production. The finished result directed by Mike Myers is a deeply personal exploration into the funny, fantastic and downright dysfunctional family marked by, “the vowel at the end of their last name.”
Family provides plenty of fodder for laughs, just ask John Leguizamo from his Broadway hit, “Freak,” and this show is no exception. Add some mafia undertones, an omniscient mother, and an inherited sum of $250,000 eventually extorted by a couple of thugs and the hits just keep on coming. Yet, at the center of it all is the D’Annunzio patriarch whose shortcomings as a father and husband have left an emotional rift of guilt and blame in his wake. Grappling with his own identity apart from his father, Cris exhumes his feelings that turn on a dime from rage to grief.
With a slideshow of projected family photos interspersed between the memorable anecdotes, D’Annunzio introduces each member with unreserved wit and frankness until they become as familiar as our own. Candidly narrating, Cris easily segues from the past to the present, from LA to Ellis Island, to the concentration camp where his grandfather endured torture while he waited for the Yankees to save him. From the smoke-filled lodge of the Italian American Progressive Club to the swanky, mob haunt of Nicky Blair’s restaurant, Cris takes his audience on a winding journey using only his descriptive words and vivid impressions.
Using direct eye contact with his audience and an almost conversational style, Cris charms and entertains but lacks the sort of propulsion necessary to keep it from becoming too static at times. Rather than feeling seamless, the show occasionally comes across as a series of monologues spliced together with lighting effects and staging. The story does have its touching moments, but the overall effect is a production that never generates any real heat or surprising twists.
“Digging Up Dad” may not have much in the way of shock value or serrated-edged satire, still, it has a lot of heart for a ‘tough guy’ who finds that forgiveness can be the toughest thing of all. Cris D’Annunzio was well advised by Kevin Spacey to see his monologue through and introduce us to a family that may not have the notoriety of the Gotti’s, but are just as entertaining and more lovable too.
“Digging Up Dad”
Runs through March 20
Ruskin Group Theatre
3000 Airport Road
Santa Monica, 90405
(Ample free parking)
Fri and Sat at 8pm
Sundays at 2pm
PH: 310-397-3244