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By Alidë Kohlhaas
Come Blow Your Horn, Neil Simon's first smash hit
on stage, never quite had the appeal of the movie version. In Norman
Lear's hands, the thin play turned into a likeable film with Frank
Sinatra, Lee J. Cobb, Molly Picon, Jill St. John and Barbara Rush in
various parts. It was a fun movie that brought a bit of needed North
American silliness to an expat living in London.
Now, many years later, Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton has opened its 33rd
season with this sliver of Neil Simon fluff, which cannot hide that this
is the playwright's first effort. Still, despite its flaws, this production
has its funny moments and provides an audience with enough chuckles to entertain it.
Simon set his play in 1961 Manhattan, where all of the action takes
place in the apartment of Alan Baker. He is a swinger who has escaped
the clutches of his Brooklyn family for the good life. Richard Quesnel
has a firm grip on the part, which in the film was played by Blue Eyes
Sinatra.
Alan is joined by his 21-year-old brother Buddy (Julian Wright), who
has decided to strike out on his own with the reluctant blessing of the
mother (Robin Craig), but not his father (Avery Saltzman). Now it is up
to Alan to teach his younger brother the ropes, and as it turns out, he
is only too willing and very able to learn them. Consequently, as the
younger brother becomes too adapt at Alan's game, the older brother suddenly
turns into a finger-wagging father figure in Act Two to protect his interests.
There are numerous women in Alan's life, but just two materialize.
Peggy Evans (Chloë Peterson) is his rich, ditzy sex-pot neighbour.
She would love to be in movies and falls for Alan's line that he can introduce
her to a Hollywood producer. The other is Connie Dayton (Allana Harkin), who is
more than a casual love interest in Alan's string of assorted female companions.
In Harkin's interpretation, Connie turns into a very artificial, manipulative female
who makes one wonder how Alan could possibly fall for her head-over
heals. Director Max Reiman somehow fails to tone her down, although his
staging of the play in general is almost faultless.
Peterson appears to rely too much on the flashy costumes designed for
this production by Ivan Brozic. She doesn't develop the character of Peggy
to its fullest comic potential. And speaking of costumes, while they are
eye-catching, they are far off the mark for 1961. A little study of the period
by the designer would be advisable. What he did create turned out to be retro-70s with some of
today's accessories added.
Buddy, despite having served his compulsory year in the US Army
(there was still conscription at the time), has been emotionally
handcuffed by his overbearing father. Wright captures that part of the
character, but he fails to convince that in the three short weeks
that Buddy is with his brother, he has matured into the lady's
man who is taking over big brother's territory. He simply plays the
part too cute. Besides, a note to the designer: that evening scarf of Buddy's should have been white!
Avery Saltzman seldom disappoints. Here, as the father, an owner of a
wax fruit business that employs both sons, he once again succeeds by
creating a self-made, over-bearing Jewish father, who can't
let go of his offspring. Of course, he could be any kind of self-made
man of any kind of origin in today's world. We have all met such
fathers among Italian, Greek and Indian friends. I'm sure.
Craig as the typical Jewish momma doesn't convince. She overplays it
and becomes a caricature of a caricature. Perhaps a peek at Molly Picon's
interpretation of the part might have helped here.
The set by William Chesney affords the space required for good
staging and at the same time captures the playboy image of a high-living
bachelor's apartment in the early '60s.
There is, of course, a surprise ending. It is brought off well and
elicits excellent audience response. It turns out to be a good way to
smooth over the less satisfactory parts of this production.
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