Review: Lost in Yonkers
Lost in Yonkers, by Neil Simon, directed by Keith Baker, produced by Bristol Riverside Theatre, reviewed by Wendy Rosenfield.
By Wendy Rosenfield
for the Inquirer
It's kind of a marvel to realize that Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers, now in a fine revival at Bristol Riverside Theatre, premiered in 1990. Though it won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize and swept the Tonys, it was, by then, something of an anachronism: both a new Simon play and a sentimental look back at a Jewish immigrant family during World War II.
But clearly, it struck a nerve. This production, directed by Keith Baker, does the same, calling to mind the Kurnitz family's international legacy: new waves of refugees who came to America, settled into an ethnic enclave, moved into an apartment above their store, and raised the next generation with one foot here and another resting uneasily in the Old World.
This culture clash fades as it travels down the bloodline, from stern Grandma (Joy Franz), whose childhood treatment at the hands of European anti-Semites and subsequent suffering rendered her "cold as steel," to her four flawed, sensitive children: gangster Louie (Danny Vaccaro), anxious Gert (Karen Peakes), mentally disabled Bella (Eleanor Handley), and Eddie (Bruce Graham), whose care of his dying wife has left him in debt.
Through the eyes of Eddie's two teenage sons - Jay, a delightfully awkward David Nate Goldman, just slightly too big for his britches, and his cute, mischievous younger brother Arty (Kyle Klein II) - we watch the family's dirty laundry get a much-needed airing. The boys must stay with Grandma while Eddie earns money to pay what he owes. This means visits from Vaccaro's Louie, both charming and imposing, able to freeze the boys with an arched eyebrow. But even more, it means allowing Handley's Bella to flower; her twitchy performance is remarkable for the contrast between her gentle assertions of autonomy and Grandma's force of will. She saves soft eyes and a guarded, crooked smile for her nephews, but fights her way to recognition in every other direction. It's such a kind portrayal.
Kindness marks Baker's direction, and there's warmth in Jason Simms' set, a leaded-glass, damask-papered apartment that looks as sturdy as Grandma. Franz's Yiddish accent is less steadfast; it wavers, but it's not a deal-breaker. These characters are otherwise vivid, with enough laughs to make up for whatever small flaws linger among the supporting cast. It's the perfect pre-Thanksgiving reminder that families are best served with a heaping helping of empathy and a sweet sense of humor.
Through Nov. 30 at Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol.
Tickets: $36- $46.
Information: 215-785-0100 or www.BRTStage.org.