Applause! Applause! Review of Mel Schwartz Sleeps With Mae West at The Cutting Room by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens

This review of Mel Schwartz Sleeps With Mae West at The Cutting Room was written by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and published in Volume X, Issue 7 (2017) of the online edition of Applause! Applause!

Mel Schwartz Sleeps With Mae West
Book, Music & Lyrics by Ginger Reiter
Music Arrangements by Ike Reeves
The Cutting Room 
44 East 32nd Street
New York, New York 10010
Reviewed 12/28/17

Mel Schwartz Sleeps With Mae West takes place over the course of a single night in North Miami Beach, Florida in 1986. Mel Schwartz (Jef Canter), who is not Jewish, wears a wig and has an enormous penile implant. He is trying to convince Marla, the "skinny little boney-assed whore from Philadelphia" whose rent he pays, to visit him for a booty call on an off-night outside of his scheduled appointments. When she turns him down, he calls his two friends, Lester (Tony Rossi) and Milty (David R. Gordon) to see if they can set him up or be his wingman at bars. These three friends, who regularly meet for breakfast at Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House Restaurant on Collins Avenue in Sunny Isles Beach, are past their prime. Milty is still married to a controlling, jealous wife named Ruthy (Danielle Nichole), who listens in on his calls and dominates his life, even to the point of having thrown his illegitimate son Mark out of their home 20 years ago. Lester, who has many prior marriages, eventually tries to set up his ex-wife Liz (Sheba Mason) with Mel. Fearing her Sugar Daddy may cut off her funds, Marla changes her mind and drops by Mel's apartment but Mel is no longer interested because he thinks he has a chance to hook up with Liz. When Liz eventually discovers her ex-husband is trying to set her up with Mel Schwartz instead of Mel Schneider, her reaction is so bad, Mel decides to commit suicide after watching The Tonight Show one last time.

Mel, now depressed, forgets the first rule of prostitution, which is that you are not just paying for sex but for unconditional acceptance. He gets into dangerous territory when he asks Marla for her honest opinion of him. In return, Mel gives Marla enough money to pay her rent for a year. Marla confesses she thinks Mel is "disgusting, slobbery, and old" and sometimes even "repulsive" but on the plus side, Marla told him he has a really nice nose and a good penile implant compared to the others she has seen in South Florida. She also said, "You're a Democrat - that's a really nice thing." Since Mel has no interest in sleeping with her anymore, Marla confesses she is seeing a therapist regarding why she feels more beautiful when she's in bed with ugly men. Other confessions follow until, at one point, Marla recognizes Ruthie's voice on the telephone. Many questions are raised including how Ruthie would have come to know a prostitute from Philadelphia and how Mel could have been so oblivious for the past five years. Eventually, push comes to shove and a lot of people are threatening to kill other people. At that point, there are only two available paths - tell your story on The Jerry Springer Show or sweep your dirty laundry under the rug and never speak of it again. 

This musical has a number of songs that are very well-written and enjoyable to listen to. First Act songs included "A Good Night's Sleep," "Boney-Assed Whore," "Get Out!," "Loved You At The Salad Bar," "Shattered Ego," and "Song Of Bigots." Second Act songs included "Shtupping Your Daughter," "Big Boy," "What's Wrong With Me," "Like Climbing Uphill," "Call It Love," "Dirty Shame," and "Shake It Off." Even though the show is set in 1986, the book is relevant and touches on contemporary issues. The cast is talented and the play even has a happy ending. Just before Mel pulls the trigger, his ex-wife Jeanie (Ginger Reiter) calls looking for her own "no-strings-attached" one-night stand. Jeanie, who just left a costume party dressed as Mae West boosts Mel's self-confidence by reminding him that his kids adore him, that he once saved a family of four ice-skaters, and that she misses having his hairy arms wrapped around her. Reconciliation is impossible through since Mel is reminded by his ex-wife that he is a dirty, untrustworthy, philandering dog, which he is forced to admit.

If you are looking for a light-hearted, amusing musical, I recommend you consider seeing Mel Schwartz Meets Mae West, which plays at The Cutting Room through December 30, 2017. Tickets cost $50.00 and there is a $20.00 food and drink minimum. Call 845-598-2850 for reservations. If you miss it this year, I hear the show may be back for an extended run in the Spring. 

Applause! Applause! Review of It Shoulda Been You at The Gallery Players by Dr. Philip Ernest Schoenberg

This review of It Shoulda Been You at The Gallery Players was written by Dr. Philip Ernest Schoenberg and published in Volume X, Issue 7 (2017) of the online edition of Applause! Applause!

It Shoulda Been You
Book & Lyrics by Brian Hargrove
Music & Concept by Barbara Anselmi
Director: Mark Harborth
Director of Production: Scott A. Cally
Choreographer: Emily Clark
Music Director: Rachel T. Whorton
Production Stage Manager: Traci Bargen
Lighting Designer: Scott A. Cally
Costume Designer: Antonio Consuegra
Scenic Design: Matthew S. Crane
Props Designer: Roxanne Goodby
The Gallery Players
199 14th Street
Park Slope, New York 11215
Reviewed 12/3/17

This farce, with book and lyrics by Brian Hargrove and music and concept by Barbara Anselmi, was one big laugh riot from beginning to end. What seemingly starts out to be tensions revolving around the wedding of a single couple evolves into a romantic triangle involving three couples! And you are constantly surprised because you have no idea where the story is heading. In the end, the contradictions and dilemmas climax in a happy, romantic resolution for all three couples and their loved ones.

The endearing, emotional exuberance in It Shoulda Been You warms your heart and makes you glad to be alive to enjoy it. It is light-hearted, gracious, and enjoyable without being offensive. The story does use stereotypes to generate some of the humor but those jokes are smoothly integrated so they are part of the back story. I cannot single out any particular actor because I thought the entire cast was superb. Mark Harborth, the director, deserves credit for having brought out the best performances possible. The scenic design by Matthew S. Crane was impressive and made you believe you were in the midst of a glamorous location. Emily Clark's choreography was fresh and fun to watch. 

Once again, The Gallery Players has produced another top-notch production that is a must see! Tickets are $25.00 for adults, and $20.00 for Seniors and Children 12 and under. For more information and for reservations, call 212-352-3101 or visit www.galleryplayers.com

Applause! Applause! Review of It Shoulda Been You at The Gallery Players by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens

This review of It Shoulda Been You at The Gallery Players was written by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and published in Volume X, Issue 7 (2017) of the online edition of Applause! Applause!

It Shoulda Been You
Book & Lyrics by Brian Hargrove
Music & Concept by Barbara Anselmi
Director: Mark Harborth
Director of Production: Scott A. Cally
Choreographer: Emily Clark
Music Director: Rachel T. Whorton
Production Stage Manager: Traci Bargen
Lighting Designer: Scott A. Cally
Costume Designer: Antonio Consuegra
Scenic Design: Matthew S. Crane
Props Designer: Roxanne Goodby
The Gallery Players
199 14th Street
Park Slope, New York 11215
Reviewed 12/3/17

Even Albert (Joseph Peterson), the seasoned Wedding Planner who has seen everything before and anticipates all the needs of his clients, had to admit, "I didn't see that coming!" There are many surprises and reveals in It Shoulda Been You, performed to perfection in this hilarious production at The Gallery Players. The fun starts even before the show begins as Sam Laakso (who will later play a waiter and Uncle Mort) muddles through the pre-show announcements after having "lost his notes." This was a very clever and innovative way to get everyone in the mood to have a good time. Sam Laakso goes on to enjoy himself after his character, the Wedding Planner-in-Training, is successfully seduced by the sexually aggressive Aunt Sheila (Sonya Rice). It seems "the help" is on the menu as even Jenny Steinberg, the Co-Maid of Honor powerfully portrayed by Christine De Frece, grabs Sam's buns (without his permission) when she gets in a frisky mood. Since the wedding takes place in a hotel, this scenario harkens back to the days when maids and bellboys were expected to provide "extra services" for a tip.

The bride is Rebecca Steinberg (Elyse Beyer), a nice Jewish girl, who is getting married to Brian Howard (Robert Mueller), a Christian who comes from a family of significant means, even though he doesn't necessarily have access to it. Cultural differences and conflicts abound, especially between the two mothers. Judy Steinberg, the Jewish Mother impressively played by Luisa Boyaggi, is particularly strong and has some of the funniest lines in the play. Georgette Howard, the alcoholic Christian mother committed to being the only woman in her son's life until after her death, is convincingly portrayed by Lorinne Lampert. The hapless husbands are Murray Steinberg (Dave Konig), who got a good deal on the hotel, and George Howard (Francis Heaney), who tries to get his son Brian to get his wife-to-be to sign a prenuptial agreement on the day of the wedding. Rebecca's maids of honor are her sister, Jenny, and her very special friend, Annie Sheps (Rachel Gubow), who, unfortunately, is also not Jewish. Brian's best man is Greg Madison, enthusiastically played by Justin Liebergen, and one of two young men who get the opportunity to show off their body on stage by parading around in their underwear. Two unexpected and unanticipated guests include Marty Kaufman (Josh Kolb), who the Steinberg family wish Rebecca was marrying instead of Brian, and a little package of joy, which partially explains why Rebecca has decided to marry Brian in the first place.

The set and the costumes were impressive and perfect for this play. The musical numbers were well-performed and the direction was spot-on, with one exception. When Greg and Annie sing "Love You Till The Day" (lyrics by Ernie Lijoi) in lieu of a toast to the bride and groom, in my opinion, it works better if Annie directs the line, "I'll love you til the day you die" to Brian, and Greg directs it to Rebecca. But I recognize this is a directorial decision and it works fine just the way it is. There are many enjoyable musical numbers in It Shoulda Been You, including "This Day," "Nice," "Where Did I Go Wrong," "Whatever," and "A Little Bit Less Than." Maybe, in the end, you will learn that life and marriage is not the perfect happily-ever-after scenario depicted in old movies but the imperfect can still be quite good. For example, even if Marty loses his pants at the wrong moment, you still get to enjoy the show.  

I strongly recommend you see It Shoulda Been You at The Gallery Players. It plays there through December 17, 2017.  Tickets are $25.00 for adults, and $20.00 for seniors and children 12 and under. For more information and for reservations, call 212-352-3101 or visit www.galleryplayers.com