Barefoot in the Park
Whether you're a theater-buff or not, is there anyone alive who
hasn't heard of Neil Simon? As one of our country's most successful
playwrights, his work is so popular it's often adapted into film.
Take "Barefoot in the Park," for example. It opened on Broadway
in 1963; became an award-winning movie starring Jane Fonda and
Robert Redford in 1967; and today is still in demand.
We've seen six different productions of this 49 year-old comedy,
but we were anxious to see it again at the Long Beach Playhouse.
Why? Because "Barefoot in the Park" was once called a wild comedy.
Times have changed dramatically since the 1960s, as have all of
society's mores. We wondered how contemporary values and a new
directorial point of view would interpret Simon's plot--one which
centers on a straight-laced attorney and a free-spirited woman who
discover six days into their marriage that they are complete misfits.
Kudos to director Denis McCourt! Thanks to his commitment to
traditional theater, sparked by clever innovative touches, this
production of "Barefoot" knocked the opening night audience clear
out of "the Park."
By adding a trio of fabulous doo-wap singers (Whitney Mignon
Reed, Elaine Hayhurst, Brandy Drzymkowski who perform throughout
the story), the action is solidly set in the late 50s or early 60s.
Then there's the play's location. Since the shape of the LBP
Mainstage has long been problematic, and everything takes place on
the top floor of a New York Brownstone, McCourt solves the problem
of getting his characters up six flights of stairs with aplomb.
They simply run up and down the aisles of the theater until they
collapse, exhusted, on stage.
The talented cast does itself proud. Vanessa Rose Parker plays
Corie Bratter, the free-spirited young bride who throws precaution
to the wind in her desire to experience life to the hilt; while Eric
Pierce portrays Paul Bratter, her serious, straight-laced new
husband who desires to become a stable, respectable attorney.
The audience loved every minute of their performances, even as
Rocky Bonifield and Paul Ramirez gave them a run for their money.
Rocky plays Ethel (Corie's lonely mother) with panache; while Paul
lets all the stops out as Victor Velasco. He's the Bratter's kooky,
over-the-top neighbor, who gets to his illicit lodging by climbing
through the couple's bedroom window.
All hell breaks loose when Corie gets a bright idea and tricks
her widowed mother into having dinner with the Bohemian Victor.
She was going to prepare it herself; but the bathroom floods, the
oven won't work, and the apartment is still empty because the
furniture hasn't arrived.
So they resort to Plan B, which proves to be disastrous.
Following Victor's advice, both couples take a ferry to Staten
Island where they eat at an Albanian restaurant and all four of them
get drunk. Meanwhile, Paul is supposed to be in court the next day
to appeal an important case, Ethel's car goes missing, her sister is
hysterical because Ethel never returned home, and the newly weds
(who aren't speaking by now) are suing each other for divorce.
To find out how this calamitous chaos winds up (by definition,
comedy must have a happy ending, you know), call (562) 494-1014, or
go on line at www.lbplayhouse.org.
"Barefoot in the Park" continues at 8:00 on Thursday-Saturday,
and 2:00 on Sunday, through Feb. 11. Long Beach Playhouse is
located at 5021 E. Anaheim across the street from the Long Beach
Recreational Golf Course.