Explorer's Club at MTC at City Center

[skynyc]

Have a couple of drinks and prepare to laugh.

Silly show set in London in Victoria's time. The men of the club are aghast when one member is proposing admitting a woman. And Roger, their bartender who is dealing with personal issues, has lost all ability to pour a decent drink. (And how can you discuss letting a woman in the club without a good drink?)

 

Show is silly and reminiscent of old drawing room comedies from the 40s. Quite a bit of physical comedy, ridiculous situations, and riotous personalities. In particular I loved the snake-lover who adored, but was terrible at, charades.

 

The playwright, Nell Benjamin, has done mostly family and children's theater, and the book of the musical Legally Blonde. She handled tonight's tricky genre very nicely. Ibsen this isn't, but then you can figure that out pretty quickly from the ostrich in formal wear on the cover of the program.

 

SPOILERS TK:

 

The cast is terrific. John McMartin (the last surviving principle from the original Follies) is perfect as the woman-hating, bible-toting zealot in search of the lost tribes of Israel. He can deliver the most stupifying lines with a completely straight face.

 

Carson Elrod (most recently in All in the Timing at 59E59) is unrecognizable as a jungle tribesman who's been brought to London to meet the queen.

 

And sexy Lorenzo Pisoni is an earnest botanist who is smitten with the female explorer.

 

Throw in a guinea pig named Jane, a poisonous snake, an Irish assassin, a snobbish countess, and a very complete bartender's manual, and my friend and I chortled all the way through.

 

Again...not for all. Sheer, silly fun. Lovely summer theater fare. And I do recommend having a drink with dinner before you see it.

 

Playing at the City Center location of Manhattan Theater Club, the show formally opens on June 20th and plays through July 21. There are discounts on Playbill.com, and I got my ticket through tdf.