Life imitates theatre in Edgemar's "...Broadway"

--- Theatre review

Presented by the Rainbow Theatre Company and premiering at the Edgemar Center for the Arts in Santa Monica on an overwhelmingly beautiful set so sumptuous and detailed that it takes your breath away, is Henry Jaglom´s complex and intelligent play, "Just 45 Minutes from Broadway."

Set in the present time, in upstate New York, the play has an aura of nostalgia about it that´s reinforced by the storyline and by the early 20th century music that brackets the scenes (La Mer, I Only Have Eyes for You, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, and George M. Cohan´s title song, 45 Minutes from Broadway).

It´s the story of an eccentric and passionate theatrical family in hard times whose members live together out of emotional neediness and financial necessity, and of the one misfit daughter who´s chosen to live a normal life as a "civilian" but who dares to bring her handsome fiancé home and set him, as it were, in the spotlight on center stage.

George Issacs ("Grisha"), the powerhouse patriarch of the family who has grown up a star in both Yiddish and English theater, suffers some of the symptoms of aging now that the gigs are getting scarce. In an amusing scene he admits his dependence on a sleeping aid (as well as almond cookies) and his nervousness over an upcoming interview.

Later, in an equally poignant moment, he searches frantically for his misplaced "things," those mementos of the past that he´s keeping so the public "will know we were here…that we existed." Later consoled in the arms of his still beautiful wife he laments, "Everything becomes past…I want to be a kid again."

Jack Heller´s performance as Grisha is commanding and exhilarating (think Olivier in King Lear); grabbing audience attention each time he appears on stage.

Diane Salanger plays his wife, the lithe and elegant if aging auburn-haired actress Vivian, whose sexiness equals her generosity of spirit. She´s the oil (certainly perfumed) that smoothes the waters of family conflict whenever it arises. And oh my, what a naughty little secret she carries. It´s hard to take your eyes off Salanger in this mesmerizing role. It fits her like a glove.

Vivian´s going-to-seed brother Larry (David Proval, who resembles DeNiro) lives with them while acting in a local dinner theatre´s production of "Guys and Dolls." He pumps his role in the musical, which sometimes has more people on stage than in the audience, but finally admits of the role and his life, "I never got to be a star."

Houseguest Sally Brooks (Harriet Schock), another fading actress whose stories all begin funny but end on a depressing note, has a surprising position in the family dynamics. Her acting future is uncertain, as is Larry´s, but together they may make it.

Pandora ("Panda") is the emotional, melodramatic younger daughter who grew up "living out of a trunk" and loving it. Unlike her sister who hates the unstructured fantasy world of theatre, Pandora thrives on its drama and uncertainty. A natural scene-stealer, she´s upstaged her sister from the moment she was born.

Her long, wild, red hair mirrors her flamboyant, volatile personality (a nod to the infamous Pandora´s Box?) as she swings from nearly manic happiness to hysterical, weeping self-incrimination. Yes, she´s thirty and unemployed, and yes, she´s recently broken up with a lover, but is she, as her cynical sister claims "just acting?"

Betsy thinks her family are all freaks, clowns, and jesters, and views herself as the only responsible one. "I just want to be normal!" she wails. When told that nobody is normal, she whips back, "The audience is!"

Betsy soon realizes her mistake in bringing her fiancé to meet the family as he is at first entertained and then enchanted by them.

David Garver plays Jimmy, a financial advisor and real estate agent whose mantra is "putting people together with their dreams." It´s soon obvious that the woman of his personal dreams isn´t going to be the steady, practical Betsy. Drawn like a moth to the flame, he steps into Pandora´s fantasy world and never looks back.

When Betsy reveals the true reason for her visit, her family is horrified. Lines are drawn, ranks close, and she´s once again pushed outside the family circle, which now includes Jimmy. "I´m sorry we weren´t the family she needed," Grisha comments after she runs off. He then launches enthusiastically into his idea for a new play.

With the irritant, the oddball, the "square" peg expelled, the family settles into neat couples, dreaming of clouds and croaking like mating bullfrogs.

Tanna Frederick´s hi-energy and spontaneity embodies the free spirited, childlike quality of Pandora perfectly. She takes us through a range of emotions and passion that leaves us breathless, but always believing.

Julie Davis´ performance is equally compelling. She projects her character´s struggle to be free of family expectations with such heart wrenching clarity we want to stand and cheer when the cord is finally severed.

Director Gary Imhoff has brought this multi-faceted play together seamlessly, using the abundant and varied talent of the cast, the marvelous music, and the opulent set. A satisfying dramatic feast for the season.

Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 5:00 pm (dark Thanksgiving weekend)

Admission: $25. Reservations: (310) 392-7327 or online www.edgemarcenter.org

Edgemar Center for the Arts: 2437 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Parking is available onsite (fee charged); also metered parking in Lot 11, across the street from Peet´s Coffee.