Dan Hartley (left) of Dearborn plays Harry Witherspoon, Clif Levin of Detroit plays the dead body and Jackie Gubow (right) of Huntington Woods plays Annabel Glick in the Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty musical comedy “Lucky Stiff.” The show runs for one more weekend, March 23 to 25 at the Village Players in Birmingham, 34660 Woodward Avenue. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee. Call (248) 644-2075 for ticket information.
By SUE SUCHYTA
“Lucky Stiff,” a funny musical comedy farce, runs for one more weekend at the Village Players of Birmingham.
Directed and costumed by local creative force Michael Gravame, the show was created by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the talented team who brought us “Ragtime,” “Seussical” and many other musical theatre treats.
CLOSING WEEKEND
Final show times are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 23 and 24, with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, March 25 at the Village Players of Birmingham, 34660 Woodward Avenue. Call (248) 644-2075 to order tickets by phone.
COLORFUL COMEDY
The show is colorful, irreverent and funny. What’s surprising is that it isn’t performed more often. From Gravame’s bright, amusing costumes to the door slamming, in-and-out confusion and silly chase scenes, it’s a fun show that has a premise improbable enough that it never takes itself too seriously – it’s meant to be fun and it is.
FROM SHOE SALESMAN TO POSSIBLE MILLIONAIRE
A mild-mannered shoe salesman, Harry Witherspoon, who is harassed by his neighbor’s out-of-control dogs, suddenly finds himself in the middle of a massive mission that – if properly carried out – will net him a multi-million dollar inheritance and the chance to change his life.
THE “LUCKY” STIFF
An uncle he never met has died, and if he takes the deceased carefully preserved body to Monte Carlo for the dream vacation he never had, Harry inherits the fortune.
GOING TO THE DOGS?
If not, the money goes to a stray dog charity, which Harry refuses to let happen. However, the beautiful, determined and earnest female emissary for the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn is following him every step of the way, hoping to grab the brass ring if Harry doesn’t fulfill the will’s wishes.
DOGGED DETERMINATION
Dan Hartley of Dearborn is fun and entertaining in the role of Harry. If his belting voice sounded a bit hoarse by the second weekend of the run, he more than made up for it in energy and comic earnestness.
HOUNDING HARRY
Jackie Gubow of Huntington Woods is delightful and amusing as the intrepid heroine who would rather see the money go to her homeless canines, so she hounds Harry hoping to catch him breaking the provisions of the will’s wild weekend. Having seen her perform as a talented teen, it’s satisfying to see her successfully take on adult roles with confidence and flair.
MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES
The entire cast of characters is funny and very entertaining. All have multiple costume changes, and even Clif Levin’s “dead body” has to get up and dance during a nightmare sequence.
NIGHTMARE SEQUENCE GLOWS
The nightmare sequence itself merits special mention. Done under black lights, with clever glow-in-the-dark dog-head placard masks, it is very cleverly done, and reminds one of the equally entertaining dream sequence in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
UNDERDOGS CONNECT
Hartley and Gubow make a great pair, and you find yourself rooting for the two underdogs to connect early on.
VELINSKY STEALS SCENES
Tania Velinsky is delightful as Rita LaPorta, the colorful, criminal and visually challenged ditz who is too vain to wear her glasses, which results in an unintended murder. She created an over-the-top character who entertains every time she steps on stage.
BATTLE BRINGS IT
Tony Battle is funny as Vinnie Di Ruzzio, the henpecked brother and husband who is dragged into the middle of this mayhem and comedy chase.
COLORFUL CAST
The cast’s colorful clothing makes their clownish personalities even more eye-catching and amusing. The eye chart tie is a nice touch with the bright blue of Vinnie’s suit.
CLIF’S CORPSE
Clif Levin is remarkable in his ability to stay still as a stiff in a wheel chair as people move him around, rearrange his arms, and hold one-sided conversations with him. I never saw him twitch or sneeze while in “dead mode.”
ENSEMBLE ENERGY
The balance of the cast, which includes Gary Mach as Luigi, and the ensemble of Tom Arwady, Earl Bain, Janie Minchella and Liz Schultz rise to the challenge of playing multiple roles in many costumes in a never-ending parade of successful scenes.
CAMPY COMEDY
The set design itself is very versatile, and continues the theme of colorful campiness.
The feigned skydiving and scuba diving is laugh-out-loud funny and entertaining. The cast popping in and out of doors and windows will remind you of the some of the funnier moments of television’s comedy classic “Laugh In.”
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