It Must Be HimOff the Aisle Productions at the Peter Jay Sharp TheatreReviewed by
David Sheward
September 01, 2010
Set in "Lala Land," the show opens with self-pitying 55-year-old Louie Wexler (a sturdy Peter Scolari) awakened by his stereotypical Hispanic housekeeper, Ana (an over-the-top Liz Torres), delivering heavily accented wisecracks along with the morning Danish. Louie has a reading of his new, unsold screenplay that night, and his agent wants him to change the leads from a heterosexual couple to two guys. In his "real life," Louie pines for his much younger housemate, the hunky would-be actor Scott (an attractive and game Patrick Cummings), who wants their relationship to remain platonic. Clichés pile up at an alarming rate: Louie's Jewish family are guiltmongers, his young assistant ends every sentence with "dude," all Hollywood types are phonies and addicted to plastic surgery, Ana jumps nervously at the mention of immigration authorities, etc., etc. In addition, the script feels dated: When was the last time you heard of two adult males sharing a house and not being romantically involved? Given the increase in and greater acceptance of depictions of gay relationships in film and TV, would Louie be so reluctant to alter his movie? Solms attempts to jazz up the limited plot with a musical-comedy interlude and a parody of the reality show "The Bachelor." The former, which features music by Larry Grossman and lyrics by Ryan Cunningham, has a promising beginning but spirals into an unfunny S&M ending. The TV spoof just falls flat. Scolari, best known for his roles on shows like "Bosom Buddies" and "Newhart," deserves credit for attempting to make Louie more than a cardboard cutout, but Solms gives him precious little to work with. Likewise, veterans Alice Playten and Bob Ari valiantly do their best to move Louie's parents—who appear as fantasy figures—beyond punch lines. Vibrant talents like Stephanie D'Abruzzo, from "Avenue Q," and Edward Staudenmayer, of many "Forbidden Broadway" revues, are wasted in throwaway roles. My advice to audiences: Keep flipping the channels. Presented by Orin Wolf/Off the Aisle Productions at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, 416 W. 42nd St., NYC. Sept. 1–26. Mon. and Tue., Thu.–Sun., 7 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 3 p.m. (No performance Mon., Sept. 6; additional performance Wed., Sept. 8, 7 p.m.) (212) 279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com. Casting by Mark Simon. |
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