Roy Berko
It is enjoyable when a theatre reprises a Neil Simon comedy. THE SUNSHINE BOYS, because of the requirement of enacting the classic comic routine is probably the most difficult Simon play to stage well. The cast and crew give full effort, but don’t completely hit the bullseye!
To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.
Howard Gollop
Alan Safier and Rohn Thomas bring to life potentially cardboard characters conceived in Simon's amusing but un-nuanced style. All the pathos as well as all the one-liners emerge sharp, fresh and -- like Cheri Prough DeVol's deteriorating residential-hotel set -- convincing. The rest of the cast -- particularly Doug Sutherland as the beleaguered nephew and Joyce Bell Linzy as the wisecracking geriatric nurse -- complete an exceptional cast. The production is not only a nostalgic nod to Vaudeville, but a nostalgic validation of Neil Simon as a onetime mainstay of Broadway and regional theater.
To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here.
Chris Howey
The Sunshine Boys is a slight and thinly amusing diversion if you don't ask too much from your comedy offerings. Kind of like a sitcom you've seen five (or 25) times before.
To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.
Laura Kennelly
Is getting old and cranky funny? Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys (1972), now at the Senney Theater at the Beck Center for the Arts, suggests it is possible — even unavoidable if one is wise — to see it that way.
Under the direction of William Roudebush, Simon’s light-hearted drama (with a serious side) centers around a comic vaudeville duo whose heyday was in the 1920s and 1930s. But now it’s 1972. Nothing is funny anymore. The duo (once famous as “Lewis & Clark) split after a fight. But it doesn’t matter since no one books either one anymore.
To see a full review of this show go here or, read Laura's posts at Cool Cleveland.
Dr. Yuko Kurahashi
Since I have not had a chance to see Neil Simon’s works recently, attending the Beck Center of the Arts production of The Sunshine Boys, directed by William Roudebush, was such an informative, educational, and historically reflexive experience. This work definitely stands as a period piece that allows the audience to enjoy the show while critically assessing the chauvinistic nature of vaudeville.
To see a full review of this show, read Yuko's posts here.
