✭Matinée Wednesday: Round Thirty-Seven…
Not too long ago, @TGH3RD and I spent a perfect Autumn Saturday doing perfect New Yorkie things. We rode the Roosevelt Island Tram, we went to the MoMA to take in the de Kooning exhibit, we wandered upon a street fair on 52nd street and enjoyed some sausage and peppers, we had drinks at the top of the Gansevoort Hotel, and we enjoyed a top-notch dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Primehouse. But along the way, we had time to see this very cute and endearing show, Say Goodnight Gracie.
The one man show, starring Joel Rooks and currently playing Off-Broadway at the St. Luke’s Theatre on 46th Street, tells the story of legendary comedian George Burns and the life-long-love-affair with Gracie Allen. George Burns passed away in 1996 at the tender age of 100. So, as you could imagine, most of the audience was made up of geriatrics… with the exception of @TGH3RD and myself. I have to admit, I was not too familiar with Burns’ story prior to seeing the play, but he lived an amazing life.
Living for as long as he did, you could imagine the life experiences Burns’ picked-up along his journey. From humble beginnings in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, he rose to fame during the height of vaudeville (which I had to Google after the show because I had absolutely NO idea what it is) before breaking into radio where he and Gracie had a place on Guy Lombardo’s radio show. The duo would eventually have their own radio show which would evolve into their hit television show, aptly called, The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show.
Rooks sews together each phase of Burns’ life into a beautiful, live tapestry. He engages the audience in such a way that you actually feel as if you’re watching Burns spill his heart out. Say Goodnight Gracie was originally produced for Broadway in 2002 for which it earned a TONY nomination for Best Play (it would lose to The Goat, Or Who is Sylvia?). Frank Gorshin — AKA the Riddler from the 1960’s Batman television series — who originated the role of Burns also picked up a Drama Desk nomination for Best Actor.
This production is quite endearing and blissfully transports you back to a simpler time and era. It’s a great little show!
