Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows is considered one of the funniest variety shows in the history of television. Some of the credit obviously belongs to Caesar and his talented cast - but the classic bit of stage wisdom is, “If it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage” - in other words, the hidden star was the stellar group of writers.
Playwright Neil Simon got his start on that show, and he created the comedy Laughter on the 23rd Floor to capture some of the mayhem, joy and madness of the Writer’s Room, which included such well-known creators as Mel Brooks and Larry Gelbart (among others).
The result is a terrific script that captures the unique, eccentric personalities who made a living creating award-winning comedy for one of the biggest stars in the early days of television.
We see their struggles to work together, to avoid the urge to kill each other, and to deal with their boss (here named Max Prince), who isn’t the most stable star in town. (There is quite a bit of vulgar language in the show, but all used in a comic fashion.)
But it takes more than a great script - you need terrific actors to bring the show to life, and this one benefits from an all-star cast.
Our guide for the show in the newest writer on the staff, Lucas, played by Mike Naglee. It’s a surprising straight-man role for Naglee, who excels at big, over-the-top characters - but he’s perfect (as always) here.
One of the many colorful writers is Milt, played with gusto by David Vickers. Milt sports some colorful outfits, and leads an equally colorful life, chasing women, trying to keep his wife happy, and firing jokes and one-liners with amazing speed.
The head writer is Val, played by Len Trent, sporting a terrific Russian accent (which is especially humorous when he cusses, which is often).
The lovable Simon Woods plays Brian, the hot-headed Irish writer who aspire to greater things, and is always just about to leave for the bright lights of Hollywood.
Brian Cook plays Kenny, a whiz kid who has been working in TV for virtually his whole life, and he often provides the voice of reason when chaos descends - but he’s also very sharp-witted and clever.
The only female on the writing staff is Carol, played wonderfully by Joanna Berner. More than anyone on the cast, she seems born to the era, and despite having to share the stage with a boy’s club of hams, she gets her shots in - and is very, very funny.
The only other female in the cast is the secretary Helen, played with nervous glee by Jenn Naglee. She’s the buffer between the staff and the star of the show, and battles mightily to keep up - all while hiding a secret of her own.
There are two major scene-stealers in the show. The first is Ira, played by Jerry Morse. Constantly fighting some terrible disease or another, Ira is the butt of jokes - and sparks some of the most incendiary moments. He’s just a heck of a lot of fun to watch!
But no one steals scenes like Dylan Clark, who plays the star of the show, Max Prince. He’s a literal force of nature, storming through each scene like a hurricane. He’s amazing to watch and lifts a great show to even greater heights!
The show is staged in the Renaissance Theatre ballroom, and the stage takes up an entire side of the huge room - making it, I’m told, the biggest stage (left-to-right) of any in Huntington except the Keith-Albee.
The set is wonderful, recreating the late-’50s era and conveying the chaos of the writer’s room. It’s an intimate setting - the back row is just a short hop away from the stage - and that works perfectly with this comedy.
Kudos to the directing team and the tech crew for staging a nearly-flawless production, a terrific comedy that will have you laughing and repeating bits as you make your way home.
ARTS also offers dinner with the show, but you need to hurry - there are just three performances left (and no Sunday matinees), so call 304-733-2787 and make your reservations! (My lovely wife and I had the dinner at Saturday’s performance and loved it!)
This is the final show for the 2013 ARTS season, and they’re wrapping up on a strong note - highly, highly recommended!
(By the way, for those not familiar with the original show, if you want to see the kind of skits that were produced for the Sid Caesar show, here’s one of the best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNbT9Lf9xZo ).
