Bev's Review Of "Laughter On The 23rd Floor" Is Out!

Left: Who says comedy isn't painful? Max (Kevin Caravalho) gets a stranglehold on Ira (Jeff Labowitch) while the other writers - from left, Val (Paul Fearn), Kenny (Brennen Cull) and Lucas (Joshua Smith) - dither about what to do next, in the DMTC production of Neil Simon's 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor.' (Greg Rihl/Enterprise photo)


Lots of 'Laughter' on this stage

By Bev Sykes Enterprise drama critic April 01, 2008 15:05

It remains a sad fact that during the years I've reviewed shows for The Enterprise, I've seen that a mediocre musical consistently will draw a bigger audience than a first-rate play. I often leave a half-full theater thinking it's a shame that people in this area don't come out for straight plays any more.

And how sad it is that they don't even realize what they're missing.

A case in point is the Davis Musical Theatre Company's production of one of Neil Simon's funnier plays, 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor.'

'Laughter' is Simon's homage to the time he spent working on 'Your Show of Shows,' the old Sid Caesar weekly series, during the waning days of the golden era of television variety shows ... and in the middle of the McCarthy era, when networks were afraid of topical humor and insisted on dumbing-down shows to be more 'family friendly.'

The writing staff included many current and future comedy greats: Caesar himself, of course, Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen and Larry Gelbart, among others. (Reiner created his own homage to this period, in the form of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show.')

DMTC director Michael McElroy has hit a triple - not quite a home run, but close - with his first helming effort: The result is a fast-paced, funny, well-acted production that features a top-notch cast.

Joshua Smith stars as Lucas, the Simon surrogate, who is both the narrator - introducing each writer in turn, as he or she enters the room - and an active participant in the action. Smith's Lucas is a fresh-faced, wide-eyed, innocent-looking young man: somewhat in awe of the company in which he finds himself, on this high-powered writing team.

Sadly, Smith's lines aren't always distinct enough, so that we miss pieces of dialogue or narration here and there, but overall he turns in a believable performance.

The group is writing for 'The Max Prince Show,' and Kevin Caravalho turns in an inspired, frenetic performance as Max, a comic genius whose insecurities cause him to throw up before each show. He also pops pills and drinks too much. He rants and raves, throws the telephone, and punches holes in the wall ... but he's also intensely loyal to his writing staff, and is in constant battle with the network to keep the show on the air.

Paul Fearn - playing the head writer, Val, a Russian-Jewish immigrant who is taking elocution lessons so that he can pronounce curse words properly - also lights up the stage when he makes his entrance. Fearn's performance is electric, and Val's exit line, at the end of the show, is one of my favorites.

Jeff Labowitch plays the hypochondriac, Ira (based on Woody Allen), who arrives late each day and seems to suffer from the malady du jour - everything from a heart attack to a brain tumor - and dreams of having a virus named after him.

Darryl Strohl is a womanizer who revels in his flashy apparel. It's hard to know which is the more notable: his all-white suit or his red plaid pants (kudos to costume designer Jean Henderson).

Lauren Miller is the writing team's lone woman, who has been around so long that she really is 'one of the guys.' (Think back to Rose Marie in 'The Dick Van Dyke Show.')

Kenny (Brennen Cull) is the peacemaker, the group's solid rock, constantly trying to talk sense into the other writers. By Act 2, when it becomes obvious that the show is on its way out, Kenny poignantly remarks, 'Maybe we'll never have this much fun again in our entire lives.'

Kenny probably was right, but Simon made sure the fun didn't die entirely, when he resurrected it for 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor.'

And the Davis Musical Theatre Company has done well by the script. Forget musicals for once, and revel in the humor of a bygone day ... and remember (or learn) what TV was like when Sid Caesar and his writing team ruled the airwaves.