From start to finish, this play had me in stitches! Yasen Peyankov plays the perfect Russian small business owner in Chicago's Uptown district. He complains about every little thing with ultimate detail and dedication, lol. And who would have known that Jane Alderman as Lady used to work in casting. Her comedic timing never missed a beat!
But who really stole the show in terms of laughter was Jon Michael Hill as Franco Wicks. His role was very stereotypical, but Jon was so committed to his character, practically everything he said was hilarious! YET...at the same time....Franco was completely inspirational. He showed us the true value of the long-forgotten "American Dream," and that it can start at such a young age. We all have dreams and aspirations, but why are there so many people in this world who want to stop those from happening? Maybe more of our dreams would come true if we helped OTHERS with their own dreams first...
As for Michael McKean, this was a very different role for him, but he played it brilliantly. We are used to seeing Michael in Christopher Guest's mockumentary movies, but the role of Arthur was a little more sensitive than his usual taste. The relationship between him and Franco, however, was marvelous! One would never expect two people with such an age difference to click so suddenly, but Michael and Jon pulled it off with flying colors! It was the two of them who truly show us how important we are to each other, no matter what color, race, or sexuality we are. This relationship moves you to tears by the end of the play....
The ONLY THING I DIDN'T LIKE about this piece (and I blame no one but director and author...) was the monologues....I mean, seriously, guys? It was like you were trying to put a Shakespearean soliloquy into a really good contemporary play! You made them SOOOOOOO over-the-top important, but WHY!?!?!? First of all, I saw no reason for them. I could have cared less about what Arthur's father did to him when he was 5 years old, or how much Vietnam affected him. Honestly, I barely listened to him every time that spotlight burnt his face as Michael spoke directly to the audience, yet it still didn't affect my memory of the play. They were completely unnecessary! I mean, did you need a way to change the scene or something? Why couldn't Michael have talked to Franco directly? Could he have revealed this "need-to-know" information through more dialogue? That I would have enjoyed! But the way it is now....the play would be 110% perfection without the monologues completely. But for now, it's only 100%... ;)
The good news is that I saw Superior Donuts during previews, so hopefully the director reads this note before the show opens. I think the entire cast and production team has a smash hit without the monologues. Otherwise, it's still a hit! :)
I give this play 1 RED BULL!!!
(meaning I would only need 1 Red Bull to go see it again...and I usually have one every day, so that's only natural for me, lol!)
P.S. Thank you, Michael and Jon for your inspiration! You truly put on a wonderful show. :)
