by dick kerekes dickkerekes@yahoo.com
* this article is exclusive to eujacksonville.com
If you like farce as much as I do and you did not see the FCCJ Drama Works production of Tom Stoppard’s On The Razzle, you missed an opportunity to get at least a year’s worth of this type of comedy.
Mr. Stoppard adapted the 1842 farce by Austrian playwright Johann Nestroy in a play that was supercharged with double entendres, puns and plays on words. His version of Einen Jux Willer Sich, was not the first. Thornton Wilder penned an American version titled The Matchmaker. Composer Jerry Herman figured Mr. Wilder’s work would work even better as a musical and brought us the hit musical Hello Dolly.
If you know the plot of the musical, then you essentially know what On the Razzle is about, minus Dolly Levi. Yes, old Dolly was an invention of Wilder. I can honestly say I did not miss her at all.
Ken McCulough, Professor of Theatre and Director of this show, has produced hit after hit during his tenure at FCCJ and I expected something unusual and outstanding as I entered Wilson Center to view this show. The audience and I hit the jackpot again, as we did with past productions like Blood Brothers, Honk, Cabaret; the list goes on and on.
David Mechoso, as Zangler, the proprietor of a grocery emporium located in the suburbs of Vienna, was truly outstanding. I have seen his body of work at FCCJ, and he has to be one of the best actors you could find anywhere in community colleges in the USA. His acting was a joy to watch.
Excellent performances abound in this show. Lexie Murray as Gertrud, Zangler's housekeeper, played the role like a deadpan version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. You really had to see it. Matt Mercurio was impressive as Zangler’s classic manservant. David Farrington as Weinberl the chief clerk, and Casey Deming as his assistant Christopher, made a perfectly delightful team as they set off on their adventure in Vienna, in this case called a razzle. Kasi Walters as Madame Knorr, the fancy boutique shop owner, who is Zangler’s intended wife, teams with Mary Cumpton, as a customer. The ladies join the two grocery clerks, in the funny and famous restaurant scene featuring lots of mistaken identities and those snappy waiters.
Zangler’s overly protected niece Marie (Chelsea Donovan) and handsome and only slightly in debt boyfriend Sonders (Jonathan Ross) manage to find ways to meet, despite her being banished to live with Zangler's sister-in-law Miss Blumenblatt (Anna Correa).
Scott Nicholson as the coachman and the French maid Lisette (Christiana Christensen) performed one of the most side-splitting seduction scenes I have ever seen.
Two guys (Brent Charon & Joey Peters) almost stole the show in a darling horse suit as the steed “Lightning” (He was anything but fast but he was funny!)
Also in the cast in other hilarious roles were Cory Chance, Dana Marie Ferger, David Gabos, Mackensey Hanly, Devin Hughes, Solomon Levine, Justin Reynolds ,Heriberto Cabana and Justin Scott.
Scenic Designer Johnny Pettegrew and Scene Shop Supervisor Robert Rupp, working with the students of drama and technical theatre, created absolutely marvelous sets that I cannot adequately describe in a few short words. If you have seen previous productions of FCCJ Drama Works you know what I mean.
Kudos to Tara Paige for the color poster for the production and the very fine playbill that had interesting biographies of all the players and the technical personnel as well.
This is a show I would love to see again since Mr. Stoppard’s play on words is so elaborate, I am sure I missed a lot and some of the jokes are still sinking in. Thanks Drama Works for bringing a lot of laughter into the world, I needed that.
Article Published in the April 2008 Issue of EU Jacksonville
|
