THEATER REVIEW - ‘Beau Jest’
Produced by Theatre Three – Port Jefferson
Reviewed by: Jeb Ladouceur
Bob Kaplan, Scott Joseph Butler, Ginger Dalton, Brett Chizever, and Jenna Kavaler participate in a Seder to remember. Photo by Peter Lanscombe
This delightful ‘Beau Jest’ farce about a Jewish family in modern-day Chicago has nothing to do with the ‘Beau Geste’ (with a G) 1920s film that starred Ronald Coleman … or the succeeding French Foreign Legion movie ‘Beau Geste’ adaptations that featured Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, and other notable leading men of the day. Nor, for that matter is Port Jefferson’s current Theatre Three ‘Beau Jest’ (capital J) production in any way related to the stage adaptation that failed in ‘29 along with the stock market … despite the fact that the show enjoyed the contribution in the title role of none other than Laurence Olivier!
All that said, it’s likely Sir Laurence himself would have loved the show that opened last weekend, and is scheduled to run through May 7 at Theatre Three. Yes, it’s that good!
Under Mary Powers’ spot-on direction, the Goldman family, wherein Bob Kaplan is the all-suffering dad, ‘Abe’ … Ginger Dalton plays a typically insistent mom, ‘Miriam’ … and Scott Joseph Butler is psychologist son ‘Joel,’ he of the even keel and steady hand at the wheel … all descend on schoolteacher daughter ‘Sarah’s’ (Jenna Kavaler) apartment to meet her boyfriend over dinner.
Problem is, Sarah hasn’t had the internal fortitude to tell the family that the man of her dreams isn’t a doctor (as they had naturally presumed) … in fact ‘Chris Kringle’ (played by Steven Uihlein) isn’t even … ready with the Digitalis? … he’s not even Jewish!
OMG!
So Sarah hires an actor named Bob (the marvelous Theatre Three veteran Brett Chizever) from an escort service, and the ‘Beau’ in this ‘Jest’ turns out to be a dynamite actor indeed. Soon he’s got the family convinced that he’s David (of course), a doctor, (what else?) who operates on hearts, brains, and other miscellaneous organs with aplomb.
Needless to say, Mom absolutely swoons over the guy, but oh-oh!… so does Sarah … and that’s when things get downright ‘Meshuga.’
There have been so many hilarious shows written featuring Jewish humor it’s hard to pick one that might be called superior. ‘Fiddler’ comes to mind. So does ‘Funny Girl,’ and the inimitable ‘The Producers.’ But for pure, rib-tickling, Hebrew slapstick that never lets up, you can’t beat this inoffensive ‘Yiddishe’ farce.
Obviously, Ms. Kavaler as ‘Sarah’ sets everything in motion, and Dalton combines with Kaplan to portray her haggling parents flawlessly. But Brett Chizever has the best lines and sight gags, and he doesn’t squander a single one!
Having seen his sensitive interpretation of Greg Connell, Peter Allen’s reticent partner in ‘The Boy From Oz,’ one can’t help but be stunned by the extent of Chizever’s acting range as displayed in this role. He has almost assuredly put himself in the running for a Long Island ‘Encore’ Award come December.
Randall Parsons’ set, Robert W. Henderson, Jr’s lighting, and the costumes of Amanda Geraci and Teresa Matteson are all Broadway caliber. Moreover, the aforementioned Mary Powers deserves an A-Plus for directing her charges so expertly in this rat-ta-tat comedy, where timing is so vital. Accordingly … this show is a winner in every respect!
My grandfather Antoine, a Goy who loved quoting Jewish idioms (but fractured them mercilessly) would probably have said, “Go see ‘Beau Jest’ … from laughing to death, you wouldn’t die!”
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Award-winning writer, Jeb Ladouceur is the author of eleven novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. His newest book, THE GHOSTWRITERS, explores the bizarre relationship between the late Harper Lee and Truman Capote. It maintains that each wrote the other’s most famous work. Ladouceur’s revealing website is www.JebsBooks.com