The Catskill Chronicle

Review by Carol Montana, photos provided

FORESTBURGH, NY – In its usual fashion, Forestburgh Playhouse is ending the regular season with a comedy. And this year, it’s no ordinary comedy, it’s a Neil Simon-fall-off-your-chair-with-non-stop-hysterical-laughter comedy.

“Laughter on the 23^rd Floor” was inspired by Simon’s early career as a junior joke writer for Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows.” The play takes place during the 1950s, specifically during that decade’s McCarthy era, which figures into the plot very nicely indeed.

Max Prince (a character based on Sid Caesar) is the star of a weekly comedy-variety show. His staff includes the new guy, Lucas Brickman, who does a running commentary for the audience (based on Simon), and other characters based on writers Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Selma Diamond and Woody Allen.

The play has had several reincarnations on Broadway, as well as a big screen and made-for-TV movie. Featured stars have included Nathan Lane, Gene Wilder and Victor Garber.

And Forestburgh’s cast holds its own with the best of them. Featuring Edward Juvier – who was so wonderful in “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” – as Max Prince; “Singing in the Rain’s” incredible Jim Bray as Milt; “Seussical’s” delightful Nick Mason as Brian, Sarah Norris as Carol (the only female writer), and Alyssa Wall as secretary wannabe-writer Helen; and Gregory Kantor as Lucas, Allen Lewis Rickman as Val, Chris DeStefano as Kenny, and Chris Daftsios as Ira.

To say that the ensemble worked well together is an understatement. As the one-liners zigged and zagged across the stage, schtick and schmaltz mixed freely with profanity (much more than in a typical Simon comedy), seriousness, hypochondria, politics and a myriad of other topics in this non-stop hit.

At the heart of the plot is Prince’s battle with the NBC-TV network, which is interfering with his show because network executives and sponsors feel the East-coast hit is too sophisticated for the Mid-West region. Prince, who is actually more insane than his writers – if you can believe that – rants and raves about everything and anything – the network, McCarthyism, his ratings, his sponsors, and anything else you can think of.

All this while the writers frantically, manically, and even maniacally try to top each other with gags, resorting even to insult and threats of serious bodily harm. This one-upmanship gives each actor a chance to shine.

Even the title of the play is a joke. Simon noted that, in real life, the script sessions for “Your Show of Shows” were held on both the 11^th and 12^th floors of an NBC office building. So to get the title of his play, he just added the numbers together. This from the man who maintains in his “The Sunshine Boys,” that certain letters are funnier than others. The man never stops.

Director/Scenic Designer Ron Nash outdid himself with a top-notch cast that performs at a breakneck pace, in this funny, funny final regular show of the season at The Forestburgh Playhouse.

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“Laughter on the 23^rd Floor” continues at The Forestburgh Playhouse through Sunday, September 5. For more information, visit The Forestburgh Playhouse online, or call the box office at 845-794-1194.

Don’t forget to take in the last Cabaret of the season. And while you’re there, get your 2011 season tickets, and pick up your tickets for the season finale “Equus,” featuring Forestburgh’s own Norman Duttweiler and world-renowned star Loretta Swit on Friday and Saturday, September 10 and 11 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, September 12 at 3:00 p.m.