[NEohioPAL]EATING ROULE @ BECK (Berko Review/Times Newspapers)

[Roy Berko]

CULT OFFERING,  EATING RAOUL AT BECK CENTER

	Dr. Roy Berko

	(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)
	
	The Times Newspapers
	Lorain County Times---Westlaker Times--
	Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times


	Plays often reach cult status.  Musicals such as
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, RENT and THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
are such offerings.  They appeal to population nichs
who like out-of-the-ordinary stories usually including
some perversion and are bigger than life.  Judging
from the reaction of the older-teen/young adult
audience member’s bellows of glee throughout the
revival of Beck Center’s production of EATING RAOUL,
the show has achieved cult status.
	The story centers on the Blands, an uptight couple
who dream of opening a restaurant, but who have no
money.  Through a series of accidents they come up
with a scheme to get the dollars they need.  They lure
perverts and weirdos to their apartment, kill them by
hitting the victims over the head with a frying pan
(how appropriate) and taking their money.  But, how to
get rid of the bodies?  Along comes Raoul, their
devious apartment superintendent, who offers to get
rid of the bodies for a cut of the action.  The
partnership runs amok, Mary gets involved with Raoul,
and...well, you have to see it to believe it.   Where
does the title come from?  You aren’t going to get me
to reveal that juicy bit(e) of information.
	The Beck cast goes from the sublime to the near
ridiculous.  It’s worth going to the production just
to see David Robeano’s performance as the bland Paul
Bland.  He is the perfect nebbish and, to top it off,
he has a wonderful singing voice.  Sandra Emerick as
his wife Mary sometimes loses her humor level by going
overboard, but, in general, she is delightful.  
	Gustavo Urdaneta plays Raoul.  Stripping as often as
he can to show his pumped up body, Urdaneta, the only
Actor’s Equity member in the cast, has a strong
singing voice, but is often difficult to understand.  
Wendell McDowell has a hysterical dance scene as the
over 300-pound Ginger Rogers.  
	Other than that, the cast is pure community theatre. 
Director Scott Spence needed to work with his
supporting cast to develop clear characterizations who
were bigger than life, thus helping to develop the
perverse nature of the goings on.
	This is not a show for everyone.  The more mature
members of the audience did not seem amused.  The trio
of seniors sitting next to me didn’t smile or clap
throughout.  The male half of another couple rather
loudly wailed, “Don’t bring me here again!” For many
of the others in the sold out audience, the evening
was a total hoot!
	EATING RAOUL  runs through December 16 at The Beck
Center for the Arts.  For tickets call 216-521-2540. 
Monitored parking is available for a fee adjacent to
the theatre and there is lots of on street parking. 
Beck’s next show is ANNIE opening December 7th and
running through the 30th.

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