Photographer: GEORGE SCHIAVONE
Without a cell phone showing up and a prenuptial agreement in the storyline, "It Shoulda Been You" could have been a play that was written in the 1950s. The spritely musical is a classic bedroom farce, a frothy 100-minute romp through nineteen production numbers. More revue than musical, Barbara Anselmi’s music is a gift to the Broadway belter.
Actors' Playhouse's Artistic Director David Arisco has assembled a powerhouse cast, led by Cindy Pearce, to take advantage of the raucous score. Musical director David Nagy makes the most of the music.
Pearce is the showstopper as the decidedly single older sister of the bride at the center of the story. She sings her numbers with nuance and meaning, adding an emotional core that is sometimes lacking in the rest of the production.
The story takes place during a single day from morning through wedding reception. The families are on edge because these nuptials celebrate the wedding between a Jewish bride and her Catholic groom.
This formula was first made famous on Broadway in 1922 with "Abie’s Irish Rose" by Anne Nichols. "Abie’s Irish Rose" was panned by critics but beloved by audiences, becoming the then-longest running play on Broadway with 2327 performances and a touring company that continued until the 1960s. "Abie's" inspired the television show "Bridget Loves Bernie" for CBS in 1972.
Photographer: GEORGE SCHIAVONE
Of course the theme of intermarriage runs throughout Jewish literature, perhaps most famously in "Fiddler on the Roof" and the stories of Sholem Aleichem. The modern take on the star-crossed lovers highlights that what once would have been a betrayal worthy of disinheritance is now merely a cause for heartburn and a case of the “shoulda’s.” As the title song explains –
I don’t have a thing against gentiles.
I respect their heathen ways.
But everyone knows you never marry,
When you’re in your goyim phase.
In fact, the play is not really about religion so much as family. In the best father/son discussion of marriage, Mark A. Harmon, the groom’s father, explains to Taylor Hilt Mitchell, his son, the truth about marriage –
Father: “You know what they say about marriage?”
Son: “That fifty-percent of them fail.”
Father: “No, that the other half of them last…”
Photographer: GEORGE SCHIAVONE
As plans for the wedding day proceed, tensions mount with the arrival of the put-upon sister, the ex-boyfriend, the clueless groomsman, the lecherous aunt, the alcoholic uncle, and the Waspish future in-laws. Playwright Brian Hargrove titillates with some racy lyrics and throws in zingers targeting blacks and gays to be sure no one is left out.
Actors’ Playhouse provides a muscular production that give Florida audiences everything they would have received on Broadway. Tim Bennet’s scenic design represents the interior of a two story hotel lobby, reminiscent of Grand Hotel. Effective lighting and the clever use of movable chairs transform the lobby into bedrooms, while an ingenious pull-out closet transforms into the ladies bathroom. The setting matches the broad direction provided by David Arisco’s vaudevillian staging. Every gag is played front-and-center so no one can miss a joke. Ellis Tillman’s wedding gowns and bridal ensembles would be a hit at any celebration. In addition, her choice of the stylish pantsuit worn in the last scene by Erica Lustig, who plays Becca, the bride, is both striking to look at and a powerful statement about the character.
This is a big cast, with each of them getting their due. Margot Moreland plays Jenny's mother, Judy; Conor Walton is the gay wedding planner, Albert. Alexander Zenox is the best man, Greg, and co-maid of honor is Gabrielle Graham as Annie Shepard. Tim Dolan is Marty, the former boyfriend who tries to stop the wedding, and boozy husband-to-be's mom is Marcia McClain. There's also Uncle Morty, played by Michael H. Small. Jeni Hacker, who also doubles as choreographer, plays Aunt Sheila.
Although this is typical broad farce filled with vaudevillian jokes and toe-tapping melodies, this wisp of a play will allow audiences to escape for a while, and leave them lighthearted, cheering for more.
"It Shoulda Been You" continues through June 11, 2017 at the Miracle Theater, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables. Evening performances will be held Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., with afternoon matinees on Sunday at 3 p.m. A special weekday matinee is scheduled on Wednesday, May 24 at 2 p.m. Call 305-444-9293 or www.actorsplayhouse.org for information.
