C+
I confess that I arrived at the American Airlines Theatre with a chip on my shoulder. I was annoyed that Roundabout had not only filled out its schedule with a warmed-over one-man show that had originated at Lincoln Center Theater ten years ago, but had chosen to place it in their largest theater. The cynic in me assumes that they were more interested in improving their bottom line than in satisfying their subscribers. That being said, at least the solo performer is John Lithgow (The Changing Room, The Sweet Smell of Success), one of our most versatile actors. It’s always a pleasure to see him, even when his material is less than compelling. The evening consists of his performance of two short stories, each preceded by reminiscences of his family, particularly his father. In the first story, “Haircut” by Ring Lardner, a small-town Midwestern barber regales a new customer with a tale that turns from comic to tragic. It was a story that Lithgow’s father read to him and his siblings at bedtime. Lithgow mimes all the appropriate gestures of giving a haircut, complete with sound effects. The nervous giggle he chose for the barber became annoying quickly. After intermission, he performs ”Uncle Fred Flits By,” a P.G. Wodehouse story with several characters that Lithgow entertainingly brings to life. It is a story that he credits for helping pull his ailing father out of deep depression when Lithgow read it to him. I enjoyed the family reminiscences he recounted before each story more than the stories themselves. I wish he had devoted the entire evening to an expanded sharing of his family memories. John Lee Beatty (Junk, Sweat, Disgraced) designed the set, a stately wood-paneled room with a cozy wing chair, a small table, a chair and a stool. Daniel Sullivan’s (The Little Foxes) direction tries to enliven the proceedings with modest success.
Running time: two hours including intermission.
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