By ROGER SMITH
MADISON — Recognizing the economic climate we are living in and knowing there are folks who would like to see a live play, Brint Learned at Rabbit Run Theater in Madison has designed a special preview evening on the Thursday before any show opens at the old barn theater.
Ticket cost for this preview evening is $10, a savings of $7 off the cost of an adult ticket. Repeat: Only on Thursday before the show opens its run.
I decided to see just what the Thursday evening show might offer, even though I had been told it was an actual performance and not just a rehearsal. I had been correctly informed; there was not an air of rehearsal, for the show is probably as good as it can get.
“Broadway Bound” is the final script in Neil Simon’s trilogy about the Jerome brothers, their endeavor to be noticed by television networks, and their struggle to survive family dysfunction which seemed to run rampant through their Jewish lineage, not bothering to skip any generation as such traits often do.
Once the actors started coming onto the stage, there was no doubt that this was going to be an extremely entertaining production. This cast is so well balanced, well rehearsed and talented that one does not suspect he is in a theater, but rather watching the goings on in a household.
Professing "the table you eat on means everything,' Sandy Kosovich Peck, as Kate Jerome, showed strength in nothing more than being a sacrificing mother who joyed in raising a family and having danced with George Raft.
Her sons, Brian and John Crowley (yes, brothers in real life) each did outstanding jobs as Eugene and Stanley, respectively. They loved their parents, but made every effort to live their own lives. So that readers are not misled, I do want to point out that the rapidity with which John Crowley spoke the words of Stanley Jerome was somewhat disconcerting. He needs to slow his speech so that those of us with older ears don't have to guess at what he sometimes is saying.
Joe Petrolia, as Ben Epstein — the live-in grandfather — lacked the accent everyone else employed, but he hit the nail on its proverbial head with his interpretation of the character. Tom Milligan, as patriarch Jack Jerome, was nothing short of outstanding in his performance of the husband who had stopped loving his wife. Gail Steindler in the role of Blanch Morton, Kate's sister, had her character down pat; her cameo appearance had every eye riveted on her.
The sets are creative and workable, the costumes are period, and the technical aspects are supportive. Overall, it seems that Rabbit Run is on its way to yet another blockbuster summer season. The curtain goes up tonight, Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. and next week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the same time.
Tickets for Broadway Bound can be purchased by phoning the Rabbit Run box office at 428-7092.
