Reviewed by Judy Richter
Hooray for Hollywood, and hooray
for American Conservatory Theater's smart new production of an old chestnut, "Once
in a Lifetime."
Under the direction of associate artistic director Mark Rucker, this 1930 comedy by George
S. Kaufman and Moss
Hart comes to
vivid life despite the somewhat dated material.
Written
as vaudeville and silent films were fast giving way to the talkies, "Once
in a Lifetime" satirizes all the dreams as well as the excesses of greed
and power that gripped Tinseltown in those heady days. The central characters
are the members of a three-person vaudeville act that's going nowhere. Julia
Coffey as May
Daniels, Patrick Lane as George Lewis and John Wernke as Jerry Hyland open the show with their singing
and dancing as George plays the ukelele. With their finances dwindling, they
come up with a scheme: They realize that as the talkies take over, silent film
actors and actresses will need elocution lessons.
They
board a train toward California with the intention of setting up an elocution
school. As luck would have it, Helen Hobart (René Augesen), one of the entertainment
world's most influential (and egotistical) columnists is on the same train,
talks with them and agrees to become a partner in their enterprise.
Once
in Hollywood, they manage to set up their school in a studio run by Weisskopf (Jason
Frank). Along
the way, they meet a number of oddball characters as various complications
arise. One of the people they meet is aspiring actress Susan Walker (Ashley
Wickett), to
whom George is attracted. They make a good couple because both are nice people
but not very bright.
Rucker's
production features scenes from vintage films such as "The Jazz Singer" with Al Jolson, considered the first talkie
hit. Also featured are scenes with a very young Bing Crosby as well as a Busby Berkeley production number and a new scene
made to look old by video designer Alexander V. Nichols. The production also features
terrific performances by 15 actors, who all play at least one other character,
some more than that. Among those already named, Augesen nearly steals the show
with her outlandish Helen, while Lane is so good at playing dense as George.
Some other noteworthy turns come from Nick Gabriel in drag as Miss Leighton, the
studio's officious receptionist, and Alexander Crowther as Lawrence Vail, a playwright
who was hired by the studio but who is frustrated by being totally ignored.
The
terrific sets are by Daniel Ostling, while Alex Jaeger designed the right-on period costumes.The sound is
by Cliff Caruthers.
Although
it might be easy to go over the top with some of the characters, Rucker wisely
keeps them in check, allowing them to be funny, even hilarious, without
overdoing. Thus ACT opens its season with an unqualified hit, a true delight
for its audiences.