[NEohioPAL] Berko review: THE SUNSHINE BOYS @ Porthouse/Idina Menzel @ Blossom

[Roy Berko]

An attempt at a nostalgic visit:   THE SUNSHINE BOYS at Porthouse; Idina Menzel 
at Blossom

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

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Neil Simon has held the title of “the crown prince of theatrical comedy” for 
many years. He is a Tony and Emmy award winner.  He holds the distinction of 
having four shows playing on Broadway at the same time during the 1966 Broadway 
season: SWEET CHARITY, THE STAR-SPANGLED GIRL, THE ODD COUPLE, and Barefoot in 
the Park. 

Simon is the author of both comedies and musicals including CHAPTER TWO, THEY'RE 
PLAYING OUR SONG, I OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES, BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, BILOXI 
BLUES, BROADWAY BOUND, THE GOODBYE GIRL, and LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR.  In 
general, his strongest works are those that recount his personal life.

THE SUNSHINE BOYS, now on stage at Porthouse Theatre, not only has a long 
theatre life, but was made into a film and television show.  

The play concerns a fictional vaudevillian team known as Lewis and Clark, a duo 
that played the circuit for forty-odd years.  Their working relationship came to 
an end when Lewis decided that vaudeville was dying, the cantankerous Clark was 
driving him crazy, and “enough was enough.”  After Lewis’s retirement, Clark 
tried to continue on his own, but old age, forgetfulness, and his stubbornness 
got in his way.

In the play we find Willy Clark living alone in a Manhattan hotel apartment, 
constantly reading Variety for show biz news, observing the deaths of his 
contemporary performers, and driving his agent-nephew crazy.  When The Ed 
Sullivan television show wants to do a special about the history of comedy, they 
invite Lewis and Clark to headline.  Bringing the duo together, as can be 
expected, results in conflicts and laughs.

Simon supposedly used the real vaudeville team of Smith and Dale as the basis 
for the duo in the play.  But, unlike Lewis and Clark, Smith and Dale  were 
inseparable lifelong friends.  So he looked to another team, Gallagher and 
Shean, who were noted for their argumentative style during their onstage 
performances for the conflicting underbelly.


THE SUNSHINE BOYS opened on Broadway on December 18, 1972 and ran for 538 
performances. The original cast included Sam Levene as Lewis and Jack Albertson 
as Clark.

For THE SUNSHINE BOYS to work, the actors must be able to duplicate the comic 
timing of the Jewish entertainers of vaudeville days, who honed their skills by 
doing the Borscht Belt circuit in the Catskill mountains.  There is a cadence to 
Yiddish speaking that translates into the outlandish sounds and material 
developed by these English speaking entertainers.  Without that tonation, 
pausing,  and sound pacing, the material falls flat.  It is very difficult to 
do. It takes a Groucho Marks, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Weber and Fields to make 
the material work.   

Though they try hard, George Roth (Willie Clark) and Marc Moritz (Al Lewis) just 
don’t get the timing or the sound right.  The famous “The Doctor is In” routine 
fell flat.  As someone sitting behind me said at the conclusion of that section 
of the production, “Was that supposed to be funny?”  Unfortunately, at least on 
preview night, it wasn’t.

Roth seems more comfortable with the material than Moritz.  But, Roth screams 
his way through much of the action, forgetting sometimes to texture and build up 
to emotional climaxes.  But, he at least tries to develop the cadence in the 
skit and show the motivations of the character.  

Moritz underplays the entire exercise to the point of near boredom, giving a 
tuna and white bread read to the role, rather than a corned beef on rye 
interpretation.  

Director Rohn Thomas needed to work with the duo on the needed variance of 
emotions and getting the right comic vaudeville timing.  He should have heeded 
the vaudeville biz edict, “Dying is easy.  Comedy is hard.”

The script may have outlived its lifetime.  Younger audiences, unfamiliar with 
the whole Borscht Belt era and days of vaudeville, will be lost in the 
references and probably not identify with the humor and ego in-fighting of the 
era.  This is a script that needs a New York audience of the mid-nineteen 
hundreds to appreciate the idea completely.

CAPSULE JUDGMENT:   THE SUNSHINE BOYS is a Neil Simon show that gets an 
acceptable, but not a commanding performance at Porthouse Theatre.  Some might 
enjoy the old-time humor.

The show runs until July 23 at Porthouse Theatre, on the grounds of Blossom 
Music Center.  For tickets call 330-672-3884 or go online to 
www.porthousetheatre.com.

NEXT UP AT PORTHOUSE:  HELLO DOLLY with the return to the stage of Porthouse 
artistic director Terri Kent.  The show is directed by Victoria Bussert.

IDINA MENZEL AT BLOSSOM

On July 2, Idina Menzel, the star of the Broadway shows WICKED and RENT, and who 
was featured on the television show GLEE this past season, performed with the 
Cleveland Orchestra.  It was a magical night filled with Broadway theatre tunes, 
delightful personal stories and a love affair between the performer, the 
orchestra and the audience.  It was a night not to have been missed!  Bravo!
 
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 
2011, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at 
http://royberko.info.  His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com 
and www.NeOHIOpal