Tuesday, January 28, 1997
THEATER:
Allan Sherman musical hits Brentwood with tongue in cheekBy
Nerissa Pacio
Daily Bruin Contributor
From the hysterical opening scene where Barry Backman springs
from his mother’s loins, to the closing scene of old fogies
dancing, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!" is a hilarious look at the
progressions of life.
This off-Broadway musical recently ran sold-out performances at
the Forum Theatre of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, and had
its L.A. premiere at the Brentwood Theatre on Saturday. It seems as
if the combination of slapstick comedy and off-the-wall dancing and
singing is really a wonderfully silly Las Vegas lounge act just
waiting to be discovered.
The story centers around the life of a Jewish boy named Barry
who grows up and falls in love with his childhood best friend,
Sarah Jackman. In the duration of the musical, the two sweethearts
get older, go to school, leave home, marry and eventually enter the
life of suburbia together.
The audience witnesses every pivotal (and not so pivotal) event
throughout Barry’s life, such as his birth, his elementary school
blunders, his summer camp mishaps, his wedding and even Barry and
Sarah’s comical retirement. No shuffleboard and tea for these crazy
folks  they’d rather boogie on down with their walkers!
Using familiar songs from classical pieces to Christmas carols,
the musical parodies of songwriter Allan Sherman lightly illustrate
the trials and tribulations reminiscent of everyone’s past. The
audience reminisces as they watch Barry Backman experience his
clumsy first kiss and obnoxious Uncle Phil tries to crash his
wedding. Sherman and producers Michael Callan and Michele Martin
blend their creative juices into a delicious musical punch.
With an incredible amount of enthusiasm and sparkling energy,
all five actors sing bouncy tunes and dance like silly kids in
overstated make-believe costumes.
Each actor’s larger-than-life facial expressions are reminders
of those times spent alone in front of the bathroom mirror making
ridiculous facial contortions. Jim Doughan (Barry) delivers the
classic puzzled-and-frazzled look of an anxious school boy who
later becomes an even more flustered married man. Meanwhile, Karen
Needle is lovably insane as a spluttering, metal-mouthed schoolgirl
who has a crush on a Fonz-type character (Don Lucas).
In contrast with the over-the-top characters, the set appears
rather simple. Only few props and a live band adorn the mostly
black backdrop. The actors’ energy and the cartoon-like costumes
consume the stage. Doughan plays himself as a baby, wearing a
floppy bonnet and showing his hairy legs behind a sagging diaper.
Klein, as the overly enthusiastic schoolgirl Sarah, sports a huge
bow on the side of her head and sings a silly tune. Through these
characters, the exuberance and hilarity of childhood overflows.
Audience members will never be bored during this circus-like
performance, as Jay Willick’s character saunters down into the
aisles to serenade a female audience member in his velvety lounge
singer’s voice. During the wedding scene, the performers even lead
both halves of the audience in a humorous Jewish round. This
interactive event lets the audience have as much fun as the
actors.
It should not come as that big a surprise, however, that the
audience should join in this light and lively show. After all, the
quaint theater’s casual atmosphere welcomes guests with the aroma
of hot dogs at a front-door concession stand.
Although the goofy atmosphere is enticing, at times the
quick-paced songs became tangled words. So packed are the musical
parodies that every so often, lyrics become lost in the tempo. The
first act also seems to be a bit more lively as tales of Barry’s
childhood overshadow the second act, in which Barry "reproduces,
moves and gets old." Nevertheless, the combination of the actors’
energy, the intentionally corny puns and jokes, and the familiar
melodies create a delightful two-hour laugh. "Hello Muddah, Hello
Fadduh!," lifts the spirits and the corners of your mouth.
THEATER: "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!" runs through March 16 at
the Brentwood Theatre. Tickets: $26-$35. For more info call (310)
444-0445 or (213) 365-3500.
Ed Kreiger
The lively stars of "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!" are set to
perform.