Raven Theatre’s ‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’ Serves Justice to Neil Simon Masterpiece

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:58:33 -0700

CHICAGO – Part slapstick and part Henny Youngman-style one-liner schtick, “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” is a classic American comedy that still rings funny no matter how many times you’ve seen it.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Chosen by Chicago’s Raven Theatre to close out its 25th year, director Michael Menendian and his cast of quick wits do the Neil Simon masterpiece great justice. Originally produced in 1993, the play seems largely inspired by Neil Simon’s experiences as a joke writer on “Your Show of Shows” where he worked with Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, Mel Tolkin and brother Danny Simon.

Eric Roach as Max Prince, Mackenzie Kyle as Carol Wyman and Noah Simon (seated) as Milt Fields in “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at the Raven Theatre through July 26, 2008.
Photo credit: Dean La Prairie

In “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” a group of television comedy writers squabble and tease each other all under awe of larger-than-life television personality Max Prince.

“Laughter on the 23rd Floor” performs in Chicago at the Raven Theatre through July 26, 2008.
Photo credit: Raven Theatre

The personal lives of the characters seem secondary to the major issues of putting up a weekly sketch-comedy show and dealing with network censorship against the ominous backdrop of McCarthyism in the 1950s.

Lucas Brickman – a junior writer for the show – gives running commentary among the zingers and pseudo-psychotic behavior of the creative team of “The Max Prince Show”.

While Lucas isn’t a leading-man character, actor Dan Granata masterfully plays the role of ambassador to the audience and plays well against their energy. Eric Roach’s Max Prince feels more Jackie Gleason than Sid Caesar. You can immediately feel his presence when he enters the room.

The rest of the actors each bring something unique to characters that have been interpreted hundreds of times. They make this production interesting to watch even if you’ve seen the show ad nauseam. Letting Simon’s jokes sell themselves takes center stage in this gag-saturated script.

While the Raven Theatre has a great space, the wide-open staging at times seems almost counterintuitive for this show. Past productions I’ve seen have had the bagel tray almost directly on top of the writer’s table.

At the Raven’s East Stage, the scenery is so widely spaced that the tone of the play seems less tense than I’ve seen in other productions.

Left to right: Eric Roach, Jeremy Glickstein, Dean La Prairie, Noah Simon, Greg Caldwell and Greg Hardin in “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at the Raven Theatre through July 26, 2008.
Photo credit: Michael Menendi

Rather than feeling like the writers are a family who live in closed quarters – constantly bickering and in each other’s business – it feels more like attention-starved friends trying to best each other with snappy comebacks.

Sometimes you’ll miss a quick one-liner while trying to whip your head from a neurotic Jew droning at a table to a drunken Russian over by a coffeemaker. Menendian imaginatively plays up the physical comedy and uses the space to elongate zany chases.

Despite the serious issues addressed in the play including the Red Scare and the changing face of television, the Raven’s production is fun and light-hearted.

The actors all have natural ability for comedy and the timing of each bit makes the show fly by. Neil Simon’s comedies can always be counted on for belly laughs. The Raven Theatre’s production of “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” delivers on that promise.

“Laughter on the 23rd Floor” runs through July 26, 2008 at the Raven Theatre at 6157 N. Clark St. in Chicago. The play runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through June 28, 2008. While tickets are $25 for adults or $20 for students, they’re half price with this link.

For a complete listing of all shows and reviews in Chicago, visit our partner TheatreInChicago.com. For half-price Chicago theater tickets, visit our partner Goldstar.

By DUSTIN LEVELL
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
dustin@hollywoodchicago.com

Chicago Native, Legendary Comedian Harvey Korman Passes Away at 81

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:06:33 -0700

CHICAGO – Legendary comedian and Chicago native Harvey Korman passed away on Thursday. He is best remembered from films such as “Blazing Saddles” and “High Anxiety” as well as a performer on the “The Carol Burnett Show”. Korman was 81.

Legendary comedian and Chicago native Harvey Korman passed away on May 29, 2008.
Photo credit: BroadwayWorld.com

A statement released by his family through the University of California at the Los Angeles Medical Center gives the cause of death as complications from the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm four months ago.

“Everything he did on ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ – especially the Mother Marcus character – was a special favorite,” his daughter, Katherine Korman, said in a published interview on Thursday.

Mother Marcus was a Yiddish grandmother played by Korman in drag. He based the character on his own real-life grandmother.

Harvey Herschel Korman was born in Chicago in 1927. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he studied drama at the Goodman School of Drama.

He then moved to New York where “for the next 13 years I tried to get on Broadway, on off-Broadway [and] under or beside Broadway,” Korman said in a 1971 interview. He gave up and moved back to Chicago only to leave for California to try and make it in show business again.

After some small voice work and minor movie parts, in 1964 he had his breakthrough joining “The Danny Kaye Show”. After the show went off the air, he found his way onto “The Carol Burnett Show”.

A Harvey Korman dentist sketch on “The Carol Burnett Show”.
Video credit: YouTube

There, he routinely played roles in hilarious sketches to a national audience and high ratings. While Korman left Burnett’s show to host his own “The Harvey Korman Show,” it only lasted one season.

Mel Brooks (one of Korman’s biggest fans) cast Korman in “Blazing Saddles” for the part of Hedley Lamarr. Korman always considered that one of his favorite roles.

Brooks would use him later in the films “History of the World: Part 1,” “High Anxiety” and “Dracula: Dead and Loving It”.

Korman continued his work with the motion pictures “The Flintstones” and “The Flintsones in Viva Rock Vegas” as well as television appearances on “ER” and “Mama’s Family”.

He was nominated for seven Emmys for his television work and won four. He also was nominated for four Golden Globe awards and won one.

Our Harvey Korman remembrance thread can be found here.
More HollywoodChicago.com writing from Dustin Levell can be found here.

By DUSTIN LEVELL
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
dustin@hollywoodchicago.com