By Dale King
Broward Stage Door Theatre wraps up its summer schedule with a humorous yet moving performance of Broadway Bound, the final installment of Neil Simon’s so-called “Eugene” trilogy, the semi-autobiographical plays written late in his career that trace his early growth years (Brighton Beach Memoirs) through his service in the Army (Biloxi Blues) and conclude with the efforts of Eugene (Kristian Bikic) and Stanley Jerome (Alex Salup), representing Neil Simon and older brother Danny, to secure work as broadcast comedy writers.
Premiering at Duke University in 1986, the play soon moved to Broadway, where it was produced for nearly two years. It earned four Tony nominations, won two Drama Desk awards and nearly nabbed a Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1987. It also became a TV movie in 1992.
Broadway-trained, Carbonell Award-winning director Michael Leeds helms the Broward production that takes place on a splendidly crafted, two-level stage. (The upstairs bedrooms are – well, truly upstairs.) Set designer Sean McClelland and the crew from Stage Door Scenic deserve pats on the back for coming up with staging that recreates a home in the Brighton Beach section of New York in the late 1940s, right down to the small porch outside the door, the cathedral-style radio that becomes a focus of later activity, and a heavy metal telephone, among other period items.
Several plots unfold in this very comfortable location, though one isn’t terribly comfortable. Kate (Pamela Roza) and Jack (Peter Librach), parents of Eugene and Stanley, are clearly not getting along. The audience learns that Jack is seeing another woman, causing Kate no small measure of angst.
Kate’s father, Ben (Michael Small), an elderly Jewish man with socialist leanings, provides much of the warmth and humor in this play. He is pretty hip to what’s going on, so his comments can be fairly pithy and wise.
The family is often visited by Kate’s sister, Blanche (Donna Warfield), who’s particularly worried about the situation with Jack and Kate. She also seems to be floundering for a purpose for her life.
So, while the boys are trying to find work in the comedy writing field during a frigid New York winter, they must also deal with the potential breakup of their parents’ marriage, which weighs heavily on both.
The subplots all contribute to the major pivot point. The boys get a chance to write a sketch for The Chubby Waters Show, a comic radio program. The skit is very funny, but after listening to it on the radio, Kate, Ben and Jack – particularly Jack – are upset about the similarities between the fictional family in the broadcast and their own family.
Broadway Bound is an intriguing mix of humor and pathos. The comedy in the radio skit overshadows the tragedy, and hope does reign in the end.
As the Jerome brothers, Bikic and Salup are endearing, sharing similar interests in comedy writing, but also displaying vast differences. Salup shows Stanley as the aggressive go-getter with something of a temper while Bikic portrays Eugene as more laid-back, a person who takes in the whole picture before reacting. Both actors have extensive theatrical résumés, and their ease on stage shows it.
Roza captures the many sides of Kate very well, as if the two had become fast friends. She gives the character intensity without letting her become dour. Roza’s 25 years of experience and two Carbonells speak well of her ability.
Librach also brings intensity to his role as Jack. He holds the character’s softer side back until late in the production, when he admits to his affair. He’s obviously an actor with many sides as he has performed mainly in musicals, including Promises, Promises and Gypsy at Broward Stage.
Small portrays Ben as a sage, opinionated guy, but obviously loving and easy to take. His performance may owe something to his 40-plus years in TV, radio, film, clubs and theater.
Warfield’s character of Blanche is somewhat less defined than that of Kate, and she comes across as more needy. Still, the actress seems very much in control. Unseen, but still important to the play, are members of the Chubby Waters radio show cast – Ardean Landhuis as the announcer, Matthew Chizever as Chubby and Phyllis Spear as Mrs. Pitkin.
Broadway Bound is playing through Aug. 14 at the Broward Stage Door Theatre, 8036 W. Sample Road, Margate. Tickets are $38 and $42 and are available by calling 954-344-7765 or visiting www.stagedoortheatre.com. Show times are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.