The specialty drink currently being served at the bar in the lobby of ACT’s Bullitt Cabaret Theatre is the “Groucho Whiskey Sour,” a tasty cocktail in honor of their current play, An Evening with Groucho. Groucho was perhaps the most famous of the Marx Brothers, a black-and-white era film and vaudeville act known for their “anarchic hijinks”* and comedic genius.
Groucho is being brought brilliantly to life by actor/writer Frank Ferrante, a theatre veteran whom The New York Times described as “the greatest living interpreter of Groucho Marx’s material.”* I think they must be right. Ferrante, along with musical accompanist Jim Furmston, spins a lively, fun and entertaining history lesson full of song, dance and old-timey jokes and anecdotes with just a touch of modern flair. Ferrante’s rapport with Furmston—and most of all, the audience—as he cavorts about the theatre as Groucho is remarkable. His energy, polish and professionalism are all things that many of us theatre folks should aspire to. I am also a big fan of ACT’s cabaret theatre. Its tables and chairs and balcony set-up is the perfect venue for this show . For Groucho, the stage is decked out as a well-appointed early twentieth-century drawing room with thick red drapes, stylish tables and chairs of polished wood, a brass hat rack and a shiny, black baby grand piano which Furmston plays elegantly.
Every now and them a show comes along that reminds us of the magic and sparkle of the theatre experience. This is such a show.
*Program notes.
An Evening With Groucho. By Frank Ferrante. Directed by Dreya Weber. Music Direction by Jim Furmston. Bullitt Cabaret at ACT. May 3 – 20, 2012. Tickets and information at http://www.acttheatre.org or 206-292-7676.