DAN'S PAPERS, September 5, 2008 Page 59 www.danshamptons.com
Performing Arts
Review... The Producers at Gateway By Roy Bradbrook All I could think of in between the almost constant laughter during the opening night of Gateway’s Long Island professional premiere of The Producers was: How did Mel Brooks do this? How could you possibly believe that a film or musical could succeed, when its premise is that an unscrupulous theater producer could make a fortune by staging a musical with no chance of success and after it quickly closed enjoy the money that well meaning investors had put into the show? Oh, and while they’re at it, ensure that throughout the show you make very non-PC and very funny jokes about almost every nationality, profession and sexual persuasion you can think of, including Americans, Germans, Brits, Irish, blacks, gays, Swedes, Jews, wealthy elderly women with strong sexual appetites and then, to cap it all off, make Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party an integral part of the plot. Can you imagine going to the heads of a film studio or a theater group to pitch this? Well, if you’re Mel Brooks you can – and you can also get approval for it. And thank goodness he did, because this is a very funny show – unless you are so PC that the humor passes you by. This type of farce relies on a cast that knows how to time every moment, because those silent, pregnant pauses when you instinctively know what the characters are thinking are vital. I enjoyed this Gateway production as much as, if not more than, when I saw it on Broadway. Michael Kostroff, as the wily producer Max
Bialystock and Adam Wylie as a nerdy, introverted accountant complete with his ‘worry blanket,’ who ends up wanting to wear a Broadway producer’s hat, really make the word synergy meaningful and are reminiscent of Laurel and Hardy at their greatest. Steven Ted Beckler plays the almost demented neoNazi, Franz Libkind, complete with performing pigeons, with frenetic enthusiasm. David Edwards, as the flamboyantly gay director, Roger DeBris, has an opening entrance to savor while Garth Kravits, superbly over the top as his camp assistant Carmen Ghia, specializes in exits seemingly taken directly from Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat in
Alice in Wonderland. You just wonder how long that last fingernail will be in sight! The scene where Roger runs the show by his ‘executive team’ for approval is one of the funniest, culminating in a conga line with moves to remember. Christine Cherry plays Ulla, the Swedish ingénue, who wants to be a star. She captivates both Max and Leo and who could blame them, for she really is gorgeous and relieves Leo of the need for his worry blanket. Jessica Sheridan, nicknamed, “Hold Me Touch Me,” is hilarious yet scary as Max’s prime theatrical angel, as she leads the determined group of sex-starved elderly women who finance his shows. Their dance routine with walkers is another sight for the ages! The staging works very well and the choreography by Matthew Vargo keeps the show moving at a very fast pace. In the mood of irreverence engendered by Mel Brook’s show, the teaming of Max and Leo, with all of the accompanying glitter and glitz and their intricate maneuverings, were eerily reminiscent of the current presidential political conventions and the comparisons were alarming – you can use your own political leanings to decide which party it brought to mind when Leo and Max triumphantly declare, “We Can Do It!” But Gateway certainly has done it with another raging success that deserves full houses who should go home giving thanks for the quirky genius of Mel Brooks every night.
ack v eat tv
By Tiffany Razzano
The Good Rats Keep Up the Good Fight Rolling Stone magazine probably put it best: The Good Rats are America’s greatest unknown band. The Good Rats have been a Long Island institution since they formed in 1969 – nearly 40 years ago – despite never quite making it on the national scene. Now, with a legion of fans in the tri-state area, they’re getting some of the attention and accolades they deserve, as they’re set to be inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in October, alongside artists such as Barbara Streisand, Simon and Garfunkel and Pat Benatar. “It’s quite an honor, considering who else is going to be there,” said Peppi Marchello, who founded the band and continues to perform under the Good Rats name with new members, including his son, Gene. “It’s good company to be among.” And before the induction ceremony, The Good Rats line-up will be performing at the Artful Dodger in Westhampton Beach on Saturday, Sept. 6. “Some of our fans hang out there and told [the venue] about us,” said Marchello. The group started out playing mostly covers before eventually writing their own music, which fuses a classic rock feel with jazz, pop and even hard rock at times. During the ‘70s, they were an integral part of the thriving Long Island music scene, alongside bands such as Twisted Sister and Zebra, playing at now long gone venues such as The Attic and My Father’s Place. In 1974, they signed with Warner Bros., releasing their most popular album, Tasty, that August. Then a shake-up at the label found The Good Rats being dropped just four months later, in December, when Warner let go all artists selling less than 50,000
records. The band released a series of albums on smaller albums between 1976 and 1980, but despite having many other bands as fans (future well known acts, such as Bon Jovi, members of Poison and U2 have told Marchello personally how much The Good Rats’ music meant to them) they never made it at a national level. “And there’s one reason for it: Lack of support,” said Marchello, who said Warner and other labels simply didn’t work hard enough to get them the radio airplay the group needed to take their musical career up a notch. “We sold more records in this area than most of the big artists. People always say, ‘You guys should have been doing this’ or ‘You guys should have been doing that.’ But now it is what it is. I’m just amazed we were never part of the national scene.” During the 10 years they played together, the group performed at Madison Square Garden, Central Park, Nassau Coliseum, the Hammerstein Odeon in England and many more large venues and festivals around the world. They shared the stage – both headlining and opening – with groups such as Rush, Journey, Aerosmith and the Grateful Dead. The group eventually parted ways because of the frustration of seeing bands that opened for them move up the ranks in the music industry, while they stayed where they were. “It was the curse of the rats,” Marchello said. “Everyone who opened for us became famous.” But, he added, “We’re very proud of the 10 years we played together.” Members of The Good Rats went on to play with Kiss, Billy Joel and Twisted Sister. Ironically, these days, with the record industry
crumbling because of internet downloading, legal and otherwise, the Internet is actually helping The Good Rats reach out to new fans around the world. “Since the Internet came around, we find we have pockets of fans in places like Finland and Argentina,” Marchello said. “I still get royalties from all sorts of weird countries.” And, in 2001, Marchello and the group’s new lineup nearly had a second chance at making it in the record industry, when a label wanted to sign them to release their song “Let’s Have Another Beer.” At the time, Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out” was a huge success and labels were looking for the next catchy novelty song. But then, September 11 happened. “The label told us, ‘You can’t put out a festive song at a time like this,’” he said. “Wrong place, wrong time.” Still, with family, friends and fans making a video for the song, it’s become a bit of an Internet sensation on Youtube and fans of all ages are drawn to it. “If you’re over 30 it’s depressing, but if you’re under 30 it’s just about drinking beer,” Marchello said. “It’s humorous and depressing, kind of like ‘The Sopranos.’” But don’t think Marchello is bitter. For him it’s all about the music and he’s grateful he’s been able to make music his life. “I still get to go out there and it makes me feel terrific,” he said, adding that the band play at least 100 shows a year still. “I’ve always been and always will be a Good Rat.” For more information, go to goodrats.com. If you’re a band or musician interested in being featured in our new music column, email tiffany@danspapers.com.