'Goodbye Girl' drowns in schmaltz
Look up "grit" in the dictionary and you just might find a picture of Bernie Yvon, a Chicago-area performer who epitomizes "trouper."
A nasty bout of laryngitis left Yvon rasping at Thursday's opening of "The Goodbye Girl," but it didn't stop the indomitable singer-actor, one of Chicago's most consistent performers, who soldiered on in spite of it.
Yvon, who made up for vocal misfortune with charm and a sure comedic touch, was impressive. The 1993 musical by Neil Simon (book), Marvin Hamlisch (music) and David Zippel (lyrics) was not.
The combined and considerable talents of Yvon, his petite powerhouse co-star Susan Moniz and director Gary Griffin couldn't boost this overlong show based on Simon's 1977 romantic comedy starring Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason as strangers turned roommates turned lovers.
More Coverage Video 'Goodbye Girl' at Drury Lane
Burdened with superfluous scenes; unnecessary characters; a predictable plot advanced by sitcom contrivances; inexplicable emotional shifts quick enough to cause whiplash and milquetoast music, the show is weak.
Still, it has its moments, many drawn from the movie, and all well-played by Yvon and Moniz, who have great chemistry and terrific timing as eccentric, struggling actor Elliott and neurotic, single-mom Paula, strangers forced to share an apartment whose co-habitation blossoms into romance.
Their sincerity goes a long way toward reducing "Goodbye Girl's" surfeit of schmaltz.
Ultimately, this revival is a first-rate production of a second-rate show which begs the question: why didn't the folks at Drury Lane choose better? They have the talent: Griffin at the helm; at his side music director Ben Johnson and choreographer Tammy Mader (underused in a show where the chorus is nearly invisible and production numbers -- quirky charm notwithstanding -- seem like afterthoughts).
The cast includes proven veterans in the leads and a solid supporting ensemble with a refreshingly low-key Theresa Moen as Paula's wise-beyond-her-preteen-years daughter; Cherisse Scott in the redundant role of sassy landlady; and Neil Friedman as the inept director whose ill-conceived "Richard III" nearly ends Elliott's career.
Then there's Brian Sidney Bembridge's revolving set -- good in theory, but unwieldy in practice -- which prompted a couple of well-timed quips from Yvon, whose heroic efforts would have been better served in a better musical.
"The Goodbye Girl"
Two stars out of four
Location: Drury Lane Theatre Oak Brook, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace
Times: 1:30 p.m. Wednesday; 1:30 and 8 p.m. Thursday; 8:30 p.m. Friday; 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday; through March 2
Running time: About 2 hours 25 minutes, including intermission
Tickets: $22-$41.50 (show only); dinner-theater packages $39.75-$50
Box office: (630) 530-0111 or www.drurylaneoakbrook.com
Rating: Suitable for teens and older