ALL HAIL THE ROYAL FAMILY!

8. October 2010 by admin.

ALL HAIL THE ROYAL FAMILY

F. J. Hartland

The Public Theatre takes audiences through a fun-filled frolic through the 1920’s with its latest production of The Royal Family by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber.

And it’s a rollickingly good time!

The family in question is the Cavendish clan, a family of actors loosely based on the Barrymore dynasty (yes, the same one Drew is from).

Kaufman is still renowned today for his gift to make audiences laugh.  When teamed with Ferber, the characters always have more depth and richness; the plots more serious moments.  It’s the best of both worlds.

Jenny Sterlin plays Fanny Cavendish, the matriarch of the group, always poised to go on the road to perform.  Sterlin delivers each one of Fanny’s zingers right on target, but she also plays the moments of drama with flair.

Helena Ruoti fairs far better in this vehicle than she did in The Little Foxes.  She is bright and engaging as the much put-upon (and successful) Julie.  Julie does eight shows a week while trying to keep the creditors from her door…and she’s just about has enough.  When she reaches her breaking point, it makes for high drama–and high comedy!

Scoring big laughs is Jennifer Regan as sister-in-law Kitty.  With her incessant whine and phony charm, she becomes the epitome of the relative everyone loves to hate.

Stealing the show is David Whalen as the swashbuckling Anthony Cavendish.  Whalen parodies John Barrymore perfectly, capturing both the man’s charm and his childishness.

Director Ted Pappas keeps the pace lively and brings the three-act show in at under two-and-a-half hours.  He also gets his cast to play in the acting style of the era.  It may seem old-fashioned, but it fits this script to a “T.”  Pappas has also selected just the right music for pre-show and intermissions to get you into the feel of the period.

James Noone’s set is nothing less than spectacular.  Get there early so you can spend some time taking in all the rch detail!  From its floors of wood and marble to its lavish aubergine walls to its art deco stair railing, it captures the extravagances of the 1920’s.  (And special kudos to Zeva Barzell, James Fitzgerald, Matt Lang and Charlie Wein who climb and descend that l-o-n-g staircase at lightning-fast speed!)

Equally breath-taking are Susan Tsu’s costumes, many of them lined with lush fur.  The ats, the gloves, the shoes each bring back the details of that era’s fashion.

So plan to spend some time with the Cavendishs in a bygone era.  It’s a good, old-fashioned night of fun in the theatre.

The Royal Family continues through October 31.

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