Huckleberry Haywood Review

          Though Huckleberry Haywood was presented book in hand, it was so gloriously and exuberantly played, that within three minutes, the scripts disappeared in my mind's eye and I allowed the cast to sweep me away. The story of Huckleberry Haywood is nothing new; a gay sexual neophyte from the South, not so much closeted as confused and repressed, comes to NYC to test his talent as a writer and his wings as a human being. But the dust on the book is quickly blown away by Davis' and Bridge's multi-layered wit and the wisdom contained within.  The humor is a heady brew steeped in NYC savvy with a dash of silly for cream, and the entire cast's dead-on delivery, the cherry on top. 

The trouble comes whenever the script becomes deadly serious and earnest.  Believe me, there's no importance there.  Instead, it grows maudlin, sinking into bathos, drowning our sympathies and the momentum of the piece.  The problem stems from the framing device of the play.  The intrusive voice of this Huckleberry's "Jim," is a character named Nan, his hometown poet and mentor.  The gospel and poetry according to Nan, is fair to middlin' at best.  No matter how magnificently rendered by Michele Mais, with her dignified Maya Angelou mien, superb voice and the river of knowing in her eyes. Ultimately, this character is just a device which impedes, rather than assists, our hero's journey of self-discovery.  Self is the operative word; we can do without the device and the sappy twice-sung songs "Sweet Angel Baby."

 

Back to the good stuff.  Our country fish swimming in big city waters -- sometimes upstream; as in the howlingly funny scene when our newly-hired hero, tries to hawk comedy club tix to the passing throng, variously hostile, harried, heartless, clueless or non-English speaking.  Or, said hero showing up in answer to a Craigslist ad for an apartment, a comedy gem set in the guffaw-inducing song "Room to Rent."  Or, best of all, "Working for Irving," a deliciously descriptive tune; the tale of a chimera of a boss, so quirky and mercurial, so ultimately New York, that he keeps all the roller skating singing waiters in his diner constantly skating on the outer edges of sanity.  Scrumptious stuff, laden with truth.

 

Everyone in the cast sparkles, starting with Huckleberry himself, Steven Tyler Davis, this guy swallowed the sun. You can can warm yourself on his sweetness, huggability and flat-out talent. Anthony Apicella, as Juan Carlos Dominguez, sails along flawlessly in this showiest of show boat roles; deft, sexy, fearless with a punchline, gaily gay, but never slipping into caricature.  A class act. Dan Sharkey is fine as Daddy Haywood; but as the turn-on-a-dime boss Irving. He's fantastic, going from nerve-rappling monster, to pet-me-please puppy dog in an eyeblink. Becky Barta gave great voice and a dollop of humanity to church lady Momma Haywood. Abby Burke kept the clichés away as young drunken disappointed Aunt Dinah Haywood, and she handled several other roles with equal aplomb. Emily McNamara was good as Sissy Haywood, but as the ultimate waitress from hell, she was sublime -- even this cast of professionals were unable to keep a straight face as she created this claw-headed uncouth character. Heather Shields as Roomie Roz sang beautifully and her every move had brains behind them. Nick Dothée as Quint Matthews, the hunk roommate who takes Huckleberry on his first date, adds some much-needed subtlety, and deft underplaying to the mixture leaving it, and allowing his scenes to rise of their own accord -- never forcing it. Therefore, when he and Huck break out in the outrageously ha-ha funny "Fat Kid," a gorgefest Tom Jones feast take-off about letting your inner chubby out, it's twice as funny in contrast to the undertone he had established.

 

All these dynamite performances add up to brilliant directing on the part of David Glenn Armstrong.

 

Bottom line, guys and gals, great acting, great singing, good music, old story made fresh by great wit and terrific lyrics, and New York know-how.  Lose the pretentious molasses, add more romance, get yourself a barn and put on a show.