Winchester
Micky Dolenz and Joyce DeWitt played washed up Borscht Belt comedians in a bitter-sweet play, ‘Comedy is Hard.’
Dolenz plays 84-year-old Lou Goldberg, a borscht belt comedian confined to a wheelchair and nearing the end of his rope.
DeWitt essays Kay, another aging show-biz vet, who eventually finds common ground with Lou. They begin to build a real fondness for each other in this touching and bittersweet comedy-drama.
The pairing may strike some as a bit of a stretch. But after seeing the performance, they not only nail it, their chemistry is infectious.
Lou reminisces with sadness and cutting humor about a career that just fell short of grabbing the brass ring.
There’s a laugh-a-minute; DeWitt provides the perfect foil for Dolenz. Truth be told, they’re on-fire.
In one scene, a dream sequence no less, Dolenz is dressed to the nines in a tuxedo, while DeWitt dons a gown. They’re out of their wheelchairs and dancing up a storm.
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It’s is a highlight of the play.
“I got a lot of scripts to read, but 10 pages in, I knew I was in,” Dolenz said about his part.
We’ve seen him excel in such stage roles as Grease, Pippin’ and Disney’s Aida, but, this is a high mark for sure.
Written by four-time Emmy winning “Simpsons” scribe Mike Reiss, the is pitch-perfect from start to finish, with contemporary references that had the sold-out audience (including Jerry Adler from “The Sopranos”) in stitches.
Directed with grace and verve by Jacqueline Hubbard, there’s no question that Comedy Is Hard deserves a spot on the Great White Way.
Broadway deserves another shot of Dolenz and a wider audiences needs to see this play.