This was incredible. The storyline was so compelling. I saw it on stage and then saw the televised version which was taped off the stage. I would give anything to find a copy of it. The acting was top notch and it is interesting to see a young Ben Stiller. Also excellent was Swoosie Kurtz and John Mahoney who many people relate to the television show Frasier. The story starts out comically and becomes more and more interesting until the incredible finale which I won't give away. I remember seeing it in the theater and you could have heard a pin drop. A truly powerful story with an incredible ending. I hope that in the future there is some type of re-broadcast or at least making it available for purchase on DVD.
2 Reviews
No Reviews for This One? Amazing.
richard.fuller125 November 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Virtually the entire cast went on to prominence of one kind or another and they all worked brilliantly here. I believe this was a Broadway revival (Baranski and Hagerty, dressed entirely different, are in 1960s fashions, tho their attire could work just as well today, but also Kurtz makes a dated reference, clearly suggesting this play is old) and that Kurtz and Mahoney won Tonys for it.
I've heard that both Rue McLanahan (Golden Girls) and Katherine Helmond (Soap, Who's the Boss?) appeared in versions of this play, I believe both women were Kurtz' character, Bananas.
The unlikely Mahoney, as Artie, wants to be a songwriter was the plot here. His mistress, Baranski as Bunny, was behind him all the way.
His wife, Bananas (an unexplained childhood nickname), has had a breakdown (she tried to slit her wrists . . . . with spoons) and Artie feels obligated to take care of her.
Ben Stiller has a very outstanding scene to himself as their troubled son, Ronnie. Ronnie can do no wrong in his father's eyes. As we see Ronnie for the first time, he is making a bomb. "My father tell you about me? Pope Ronnie?" The pope is coming to town, and Ronnie intends on assassinating him.
Enter the three nuns, who had climbed to the roof in the cold to get a good view of the pope, but it got too cold for them, so they climbed down to this apartment's fire escape and entered to get warm.
And finally Julie Hagerty as Corinna Stroller, the girlfriend of Artie's best friend, Billy, who is now a successful producer in Hollywood.
Corinna's contribution to this truly bizarre assortment is equally mind-blowing as she sits amidst all this insanity, completely unaware of what is taking place.
Artie has told Bunny that he will put Bananas away and go out to Hollywood to write songs for his friend, Billy.
As all these astonishing events unfold with this cast, we are given some incrediblly daft songs and musical moments as well.
"Where in the devil is Evelyn? What's she doing in Angela's eyes?" and something about the sin in Cynthia and the hell in Helen of Troy. Mahoney will sing this strange ditty at the beginning of the play in a nightclub.
That the music style had changed so greatly since this play's premiere just made the guffawing over Artie's failure as a songwriter all the more entertaining.
We are then given a song about the pope coming to New York, and Artie struggles to make it work. "It really was comical, the pope wore a yomica (sp), the day that the pope came to New York!" The final bit is a love song Artie wrote for Bananas that he is surprised she still remembers. "I love you so, you'll never know." Turns out it has the same tune to "Silent Night." Bananas is indifferent to her husband's mistress, but Bunny wants Bananas out of the picture completely.
When Artie finally calls the men with the straight jacket, dear Bunny had gone to her apartment to change and re-enters.
The ambulance men, "we're here for Mrs. Artie Shaughnessy." Bunny, "make way for the new Mrs. Artie Shaughnessy." so they put the straight jacket on her.
Ronnie's bomb doesn't make it to the pope (won't spoil where it does go), then we get Richard Portnow as best friend Billy Einhorn.
Things don't go the way they should and the ending is one of the most unpleasant I have ever seen in such a funny play.
"Thank you for this blue spotlight. I want to thank you for this blue spotlight." Upon watching "Sister Act" with whoopi Goldberg, I thought one of the henchmen looked familiar, and sure enough it was Portnow.
What was especially fun was the women dressed in different modes of the 1960s. Baranski was in tight pink pants, scarf around her neck, high heels.
Hagerty was in the mini, head band over her hair, a type of disco dancing boots.
Kurtz was in a robe. Pity she wasn't better defining a clearer fashion.
Kurtz would dress up (her wardrobe was outdated) and the little nun would also have a change in her life and put on one of Banana's dresses, tho she didn't know how to wear off the shoulder, apparently.
A very funny play. The only glitch was apparently one of the nuns was on the wrong side of the stage for her next entrance during all the commotion and she suddenly darts across in front of Baranski sitting on the couch, who was about to start her next line.
Baranski acknowledges the running figure, then proceeds with her dialogue.
Nevertheless, it was still extremely amusing from beginning to end.
I've heard that both Rue McLanahan (Golden Girls) and Katherine Helmond (Soap, Who's the Boss?) appeared in versions of this play, I believe both women were Kurtz' character, Bananas.
The unlikely Mahoney, as Artie, wants to be a songwriter was the plot here. His mistress, Baranski as Bunny, was behind him all the way.
His wife, Bananas (an unexplained childhood nickname), has had a breakdown (she tried to slit her wrists . . . . with spoons) and Artie feels obligated to take care of her.
Ben Stiller has a very outstanding scene to himself as their troubled son, Ronnie. Ronnie can do no wrong in his father's eyes. As we see Ronnie for the first time, he is making a bomb. "My father tell you about me? Pope Ronnie?" The pope is coming to town, and Ronnie intends on assassinating him.
Enter the three nuns, who had climbed to the roof in the cold to get a good view of the pope, but it got too cold for them, so they climbed down to this apartment's fire escape and entered to get warm.
And finally Julie Hagerty as Corinna Stroller, the girlfriend of Artie's best friend, Billy, who is now a successful producer in Hollywood.
Corinna's contribution to this truly bizarre assortment is equally mind-blowing as she sits amidst all this insanity, completely unaware of what is taking place.
Artie has told Bunny that he will put Bananas away and go out to Hollywood to write songs for his friend, Billy.
As all these astonishing events unfold with this cast, we are given some incrediblly daft songs and musical moments as well.
"Where in the devil is Evelyn? What's she doing in Angela's eyes?" and something about the sin in Cynthia and the hell in Helen of Troy. Mahoney will sing this strange ditty at the beginning of the play in a nightclub.
That the music style had changed so greatly since this play's premiere just made the guffawing over Artie's failure as a songwriter all the more entertaining.
We are then given a song about the pope coming to New York, and Artie struggles to make it work. "It really was comical, the pope wore a yomica (sp), the day that the pope came to New York!" The final bit is a love song Artie wrote for Bananas that he is surprised she still remembers. "I love you so, you'll never know." Turns out it has the same tune to "Silent Night." Bananas is indifferent to her husband's mistress, but Bunny wants Bananas out of the picture completely.
When Artie finally calls the men with the straight jacket, dear Bunny had gone to her apartment to change and re-enters.
The ambulance men, "we're here for Mrs. Artie Shaughnessy." Bunny, "make way for the new Mrs. Artie Shaughnessy." so they put the straight jacket on her.
Ronnie's bomb doesn't make it to the pope (won't spoil where it does go), then we get Richard Portnow as best friend Billy Einhorn.
Things don't go the way they should and the ending is one of the most unpleasant I have ever seen in such a funny play.
"Thank you for this blue spotlight. I want to thank you for this blue spotlight." Upon watching "Sister Act" with whoopi Goldberg, I thought one of the henchmen looked familiar, and sure enough it was Portnow.
What was especially fun was the women dressed in different modes of the 1960s. Baranski was in tight pink pants, scarf around her neck, high heels.
Hagerty was in the mini, head band over her hair, a type of disco dancing boots.
Kurtz was in a robe. Pity she wasn't better defining a clearer fashion.
Kurtz would dress up (her wardrobe was outdated) and the little nun would also have a change in her life and put on one of Banana's dresses, tho she didn't know how to wear off the shoulder, apparently.
A very funny play. The only glitch was apparently one of the nuns was on the wrong side of the stage for her next entrance during all the commotion and she suddenly darts across in front of Baranski sitting on the couch, who was about to start her next line.
Baranski acknowledges the running figure, then proceeds with her dialogue.
Nevertheless, it was still extremely amusing from beginning to end.
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