70, Girls, 70

This was a Sunday evening TREAT! The show is about old people - and the cast of "old timers" was like the billing at a "Best of" award show. Encores! at City Center outdid themselves with this cast.

If you know anything about Encores - they put on rarely produced musicals. This one, by Kander and Ebb, appeared in 1971 just after Cabaret and just before Chicago but just didn't make it big.

This show is literally a show within a show - it was an attempt to give "older" folks a place in the spotlight as well as a role in the play on stage. So clever. Despite this fact, unfortunately, it seems that Follies (another show about old people) just opened on Broadway before this one - and the word on the street is that this one just couldn't compete. Oh well - that's how things work out sometime. It only ran for 35 performances.

Check Out this Cast:

Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck)
Charlotte Rae (Facts of Life)
Mary Jo Calett (Pearl, Different Strokes)
Carole Cook (Hello Dolly)
Bob Dishy (Broadway/TV/Film)
Tina Fabrique (Broadway Legend)
George S. Irving (Long Broadway Career)
Anita Gillette (Broadway/TV legend)
and a company of "not so old", old timers!

Everyone was supurb. Encores only runs for a week, so all the performances are staged with the actors using their libretos. It's informal, yet still effective. And with this cast of characters you barely even noticed.

From the very top of the show - it was "all out" fun on stage. I hope I get to do this show when I'm 70!

We'll just have to see who else makes it along with me!

A Mother, A Daughter and A Gun

A Bang-up Job!! Right from the get-go! They not only introduced the gun in act I, they used it in act I (and act II)! I almost thought Olympia Dukakis wouldn't make it past the front door on her entrance! But alas, she survives - - and boy does she partake in one helluva party at her daughter's New York City apartment. Veanne Cox - the angst ridden daughter - takes it just as well as she can dish it out.

Ok, Olympia's hysterical, over-bearing, and delightful to watch - - a true "gem".... but oh, how dark the comedy goes... Really, borderline disturbing! Seems to be a pattern on Broadway this fall (ala Naked Girl on the Appian Way).

Technically, I thought the play was well executed - although Olympia needs to brush up on her lines in a few places... I'm sure that will come with a few more performances before they open. The only other noticeable element was the clever, yet painfully slow set transition from Living Room to Bedroom and back again. I liked the music and lighting effect - but it really needs to speed up. Kudos to the choice of subtle music playing at the bookends of each act.

The deep love and even deeper hatred only a normal, yet warped mother and daughter could share - - this is pretty much the premise of the play. If you thought your family was disfunctional - just wander on over to "A Mother, A Daughter, and a Gun" and I'm sure you'll leave feeling like you grew up on Walton's Mountain!!