The Sunshine Boys is like theater comfort food. You know what you’re gonna get with such a seasoned title. Neil Simon’s 1972 play about a broken up vaudeville act getting one more chance at a spotlight hasn’t aged gracefully with some of its language nor is it particularly groundbreaking. Instead of battling that patina, director Michael Serrecchia and his cast leaned into Simon’s tone and crafted a winsome and touching show.
Al Lewis and Willie Clark (Lewis and Clark) were a comedy act in the old days of vaudeville. Together for more than 40 years, the two grew apart while still performing and ultimately separated and haven’t spoken to each other in over 10 years. Al retired while Willie chose to hang on to a fledgling career. The old act is asked to take part in a CBS special highlighting the age of vaudeville, but the two struggle to reconcile.
Evan Faris hit all the grumpy notes as Willie Clark, a man determined to stay afloat within his fairly shitty apartment. Faris conveyed a clear understanding of Clark portraying both a disgruntled, snappy side alongside a man who struggles to exist in a time that has forgotten him. His agent Ben works hard to keep Willie in motion and Jason Crawford Jordan delivered a spirited performance that mixed in frustration, youth and an optimistic outlook. As Willie’s nurse, LisaAnne Haram did so much with little and stole her scenes with biting dry humor.
Jon Morehouse played the other half of the duo. Al was the more affable of the two and Morehouse brought that to life in his performance. His contrasting performance was slight compared to Faris’ bombastic character, but their chemistry was top notch. The two vibed so well together, it was easy to believe their roles.
The cast also featured Rhonda Triana, Evan Christopher Arnold and Leo Adrian Vibal as part of the Lewis and Clark return act for television. All served their parts sufficiently. Like Haram, Adrian Villa made a distinct impression as Eddie, the excitable stage manager.
The show’s age is evident in some of Simon’s derogatory dialogue but shouldn’t be overly triggering. There is some objectification of women as well that’s part of the vaudeville act, but Serrecchia and the cast kept it in check without a whole lot of cringe while staying true to the source material. The stakes aren’t overly high, but the chemistry among this cast conveyed the power of friendship — good and bad.
The show runs through May 17.
–Rich Lopez
