[NEohioPAL] Review of "Gods Favorite" at Brecksville Theater on the Square!

Steven {Steve} Brown stevebrown at radio-one.com
Thu Jun 6 07:08:19 PDT 2013


By Ted Larsen, Sun News <http://connect.cleveland.com/user/tedlarsen/posts.html> Sun News
on June 06, 2013 at 8:09 AM, updated June 06, 2013 at 8:11 AM

BRECKSVILLE -- After Neil Simon's early success with one-liner-laced comedies like "The Odd Couple" and "The Sunshine Boys," he began to turn his attention, with mixed success, to more nuanced and serious comedy. "God's Favorite," based upon the biblical book of Job, was written during that transition.

The production currently playing at Brecksville Theater on the Square is well-done, and produces a lot of laughs from a script that is far from his best work.

"God's Favorite" centers around Joe, a conspicuously wealthy, God-fearing businessman, whose biggest heartache lies in the faithlessness of his son, David. When Sidney Lipton, a messenger from God, arrives to test his faith, all manner of catastrophes follow, beginning with the loss of his business and all his wealth.

As Joe, veteran stage actor Steve Brown is excellent. He can transition instantly and believably from a nice slow burn to sweet caring. It is a demanding role - he is the hub of virtually every single scene and conversation - and he is more than up to the challenge.

Jay Hill, playing Joe's antagonist Sidney Lipton, is flat-out hilarious in a broadly chaotic role that is part Jerry Lewis, part Groucho Marx and all funny. It's over the top and it works. As Joe's long-suffering wife, Sally Spitz is equally committed and funny - and she nails the Yiddish accent (the only one in the cast).

Adam S. Leventhal (David) works hard to deliver the humor in a largely unsympathetic role, and his transition at the end, as he sweetly comes to faith, is lovely. The entire cast, including George Morgan III, Kayleigh Joyce, Beth Lee, and Marc Dusini, is strong and displays excellent (albeit sitcom-esque) timing.

Director Deb Sweat has forged a cast that works wonderfully well together, and the pacing is perfect, in a show that might falter badly without it.

The moments that fall a little short result from Simon's relatively weak script.

As written, Joe is not the Job of the Bible - he's more Ralph Kramden than patient man of God - and Simon's stretch to make humor out of Joe's physical pain is a slapstick more befitting Borscht Belt than Broadway.

Still, there are laughs aplenty - it's Neil Simon, after all!

"God's Favorite" continues through June 15 at Brecksville Old Town Hall. Ticket prices are $14. For tickets, visit btots.org.<http://btots.org> Call 440-526-3443 for more information or email theater at btots.org.<mailto:theater at btots.org> Tickets can no longer be purchased via telephone.


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