La Mirada Theatre & McCoy Rigby Entertainment: Shines with Laughs, Tears & Family Hopes & Sorrows via King of Stage...Neil Simon's Broadway Bound!

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La Mirada Theatre & McCoy Rigby Entertainment:  Shines with Laughs, Tears & Family Hopes & Sorrows via King of Stage...Neil Simon's Broadway Bound!

Reviewed By: Joseph Sirota

Mc Coy Rigby Entertainment & La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts have done it again! Broadway Bound! is a sure audience winner that lights up the stately stage and our hearts with a smart, sharp production of a classic play by America's lauded Playwright, Neil Simon. Beneath Simon's King of Comedy talent, this multi-awarded play is among Neil's true auto-biography, captivating plays. It entertains, yet reveals his early goals, romances and memories of imperfect-family support for two creative sons. We find ourselves having a deep peek into the boyhood/early-manhood days when Neil and his older brother Danny Simon dreamed of conquering comedy writing for Radio, TV, & Star-Comedians. Folks outside the family saw them as funny, and a writer's pay would be lots more than Dad's garment sweat-shop life; Oh, and girls really went-for anyone in show-biz; Indeed. Even neighbors hearing them in Show-Biz(Radio/TV/Theater/Broadway, or Hollywood)...Voila!--suddenly deemed the lads as "Somebody", not "Nobody" ...Yup, that's the sons' dream! Mom might worry about giving up their Department Store jobs, & Socialist, Grandpa, might never GET their humor & Dad hollered at feeling their comedy was making fun of him and the family. Who cares? All families had Bears only seeing Bad-Sides, even of two Star Sons!

The entire play is set in a two story drab but sufficient Brighten Beach Brooklyn home in a Jewish/Italian/Irish/Russian... neighborhood, just a walk to the subway to take you into Manhattan for work... or to audition your comedic scripts/jokes. Three generations fill the home. Forgetful Trotsky-ite Grandpa is oldest. His devoted homemaker daughter Kate, and her husband Jack, who lacks any humor or warmth of his funny sons or warmly caring wife, (the middle generation). The younger generations is filled with comic dreams of success -- soon to come true. First son, Stanley, is electrified with goals, and Eugene (who turns out to be NEIL SIMON (little knows he will not only achieve, but eventually break Broadway playwright records. How odd that the he kept being poked his older brother Danny to focus harder on their writing. There are actually two parallel tales(both true) unfolding. The Boys funny youthful goals vs. the sad man/women family relationships show painfully missing, love and support in marriage(only Kate's sister Blanche visits from a happy marriage(On Park Avenue). Different feeling may jar audience members, expecting overwhelming smiles/guffaws from Neil Simon's great pen, but his fine writing captures all truths on stage.

A large deal of La Mirada's success with this Neil Simon greatly Awarded play, is due to an outstanding combination of Director, Design Team and superb Cast: Jeff Maynard(Director) grasps every instant/feeling of Simon's script. Jeff never balks or soft peddles Simon's memories of missing childhood happiness. He wisely makes clear the humor and charm of Neil & Brother Danny through youth was what got them through. The cast is, of course, unquestionably provides the performing talent & drive that makes it all come together, both smiles AND tears. Gina Hecht, as Kate whose selfless love and warmth as the boys' mother and devoted wife to a cold husband is a powerful core of the play's impact (she sure can dance a super fox-trot with George Raft, too!) John Mariano gotta' mean role as Jack, the Father of the two sons, and Kate's cold husband. He must deliver this inner "man" on stage, and convincingly creates the dark, self-centered husband and father who is too sorry for his own empty-ish life he shows little to others, except in passing(it works).  Allan Miller is a delightfully funny illogical old-timer, Grandpa Ben. Again, the author shows us a man who is so fixated on one bigger than all-else to him... Socialism, that, he too abandons his far off loving wife, blaming weather and healing the earth. Actor Miller steals many a moment, and is a real pro. He's so realistic, I'm sorry his play's role doesn't die on the way to Florida(perhaps along with Jack on the way). Loving/caring women in one's life ain't trash.

Cate Cohen as Aunt Blanche (sister of dear sister KATE... coincidental names), is a warm and decent woman (unlike the older men in this family? Cohen's sister role is a likeable, willing to be helpful to all around her(even her stubborn dad Ben who's abandoned her mother/his-wife(She tries her best, to all around. The only guilt has to deal with is she married a ultimately successful Park Avenue man, so she's the richest lady in the family. She points out she always loved him before he was super rich -- So she ain't ashamed, nor gonna' be ashamed. Amen!

As for the two roles of would-be Comedy-Writer-Brothers -- these characters turned out very highly regarded real-life Show-Biz people,--soon after the story's time, and for many years after.

Here's a quick list who's names are the actors playing roles in this La Mirada play production: 

(1) Eugene - played charmingly magnificently by Ian Alda in this production. And it was younger lower-key energy Brother Eugene who turned out being the real King Neil Simon

(2) Stanley - played like an ultra-focused hi-power by Brett Ryback, in this Production. His role was hi-stress Older Brother Stanley who the real, also success TV writer Danny Simon

(3) Both real life Simon Bros were very successful, writing with terrific other great writers (like the Sid Caesar TV team, considered the greatest comic writers team--Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbert, Carl Reiner, Woody Alan  ... Both Neil Simon AND Danny Simon ...and more greats of laughter than this

(4)  Later, the younger Neil Simon, turned out to become even more known, because he liked writing Live Theater Plays-- Often then HIT Movies .. So Many Royal Hits & Highest Awards!

(5) The two actors in La Mirada's Broadway Bound! are both terrific! --Much like true gifted Simon Brothers, each plays the right talent style, Neil sweet/mild -- Danny on fire.

McCoy Rigby Entertainment & La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts continue to bring better & better Sharp, A+ Productions to our neighborhood(& with parking...Amen!). The design team spendidly created the true feeling of a lower-middle-class family Brighten Beach Brooklyn home for three generations of differing dreams of satisfying living. Behind the Stage are: Scenic Design(Bruce Goodrich); Lighting(Dan Ionazzi); Sound(Josh Bessom); Costume Design(Ann Closs-Farley); Wig Design(Katie McCoy); Props Coordinator(Terry Hanrahan); Casting(Julia Flores); Production Stage Manage(Vernon Willet); DEMAND PR David Elzer Marketing & Public Relations www.demandpr.com / 818/508-1754. 

  => From Script, to Direction, to Actors, To Back Stage -- This Outstanding Production Of a true Classic will move you with both laughter and memories.

Broadway Bound! La Mirada Theatre14900 La Mirada Blvd, La Mirada, CA 90638. Sched: Fri & Sat 8pm;  Wed & Thu 7:30pm; Matinees Sat & Sun 2:pm

Closes: October 13. Tkts: $20-$70(discounts). Call: (562)944-9801 or www.LaMiradaTheatre.com