It’s their irreverent
Based on the 1928 Broadway hit, with book by masters George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind,Animal Crackers is the hallmark of the Marx Brothers’ lunacy. A celebrated painting goes missing from a fancy house party, honoring the return of African explorer Captain Spaulding. Chaos ensues when guests set out to find the crook who took it dur- ing a series of madcap antics, quick changes and exploits.
Directed by Sean Murray, co-founder of the Cygnet Theatre along with partner Bill Schmidt in 2002, whose many credits at Cygnet include,On the 20th Century, The Rocky Horror Show, Gypsy, The Vortex, Dogfight, My Fair Lady, Fool for Love, True West, Spring Awakening, The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Company, Assassins, and many more. When asked to name a favorite of the shows he’s
seen come and go, the co-founder of Cygnet Theatre offered this: “Tough choice. Probably our latest, Shockheaded Peter is actually up there for me as one to remember, because it was so completely unique and surprising. I enjoyed watching the show find its audience and was blown away by the total cohesiveness of the design and direction and performances.” He shared some other favorites, “Another example, our versions ofMy Fair Lady, Man of La Mancha, and Sweeney Todd in our intimate space. They gave us the opportunity to present these stories to audiences in new and fresh ways. I’m also very proud of the repertory plays we have done.” Animal Crackers is a vintage production, Murray
was asked to explain how he thought a younger audience unfamiliar with the Marx Brothers might enjoy it. “People know the Marx Brothers primarily from their films; they began making them in the late 1920s. By the time they were in Hollywood, they were in their 40s and had already spent 20 years as top headliners in vaudeville and starred in three wildly successful Broadway musicals.” He went on to say, “They were famous for the wild, fun anarchy on the stage. Nothing was sacred, everything was up for ridicule. The Marx Brothers were the forefathers of some of the great comedians who followed. It’s their irreverent energy on stage that we’re trying to revisit and their sketch comedy style is something I know most people and especially younger people, can relate to and enjoy.” “Animal Crackers played on Broadway for two
years and was their last full production on stage,” explained Murray when asked about the musical and Terry O’Donnell’s musical direction. “It was a huge musical comedy with a book by George S. Kaufman, music by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. The version we are doing is an adaptation of the large-scale show that has been reduced to a cast of nine actors playing multiple roles. The show is a tour de force for everyone. Our orchestra of six sits on stage in the center of the storm playing great songs from the original score. There are production numbers, tap numbers, comedy numbers, love songs.” The Rage Monthly asked Murray to talk about
why supporting the arts is so important and why the LGBT community is of such value to them. “Support for the arts are under great strain right now. The federal government has been threatening to eliminate funding and city funding is precarious as well. We’ve see the example in New York, where conservatives who disagreed with a Shakespeare play have pressured its sponsors to withdraw its support. They have protested during the show, so it’s important right now to keep the diverse voices part of our lives and not allow them to be silenced.” As to what can be expected for the upcoming season, Murray talked about what he’s most excited about. “Man in the Moon Marigolds is a seldom produced contemporary classic andThe Legend of Georgia McBride is a fun story about a straight, mediocre Elvis impersonator who finds himself becoming a famous drag queen and loves
it.The Last Wife, which is a modern feminist twist on the story of Henry VIII andKatharine Parr, a revisit toA Little Night Music and a world premiere,The Wind and the Breeze, to wrap up our fifteenth season.”
Animal Crackers runsWednesday, July 5 through Sunday, August 13 at Cygnet Theatre, 4040 Twiggs Street in Old Town. For tickets and more information, call 619.337.1525 or go
tocygnettheatre.com.
spencer rowe,
samantha wynn green- stone, josh
odsess- rubin and bryan banville photo by ken jacques
energy on stage that we’re trying to revisit and their sketch
comedy style is something I know most people and especially
younger people, can relate to and enjoy.”
JULY 2017 | RAGE monthly 67
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