The Man Who Came to Dinner

If you're in a mood to laugh yourself silly, this is the play for you. Nathan Lane is at his scenery-chewing best as Sheridan Whiteside (modeled on Alexander Woolcott), a critic, commentator, and friend of the great and near-great who is forced to spend several weeks in the home of a Middle America family for whom "Goodbye Mister Chips" is as high on the cultural scale as they go. Lewis Stadlen is equally hilarious as the manic, irrepressible Banjo (a takeoff of one of the Marx Brothers, but I'm not sure which). Jean Smart is wonderful as the haughty and man-eating Lorraine Sheldon, and Harriet Harris is superb as Maggie Cutler, Whiteside's devoted secretary and Lorraine's nemesis.

To get all the references, you'll need a copy of Who Was Who in Theater, Film, and Opera, but I'm glad they didn't try to update them. It just wouldn't have worked.

Finally, kudos to Ryan Shively (as Sandy, union organizer and June's fiancee)! A talented actor and an all-around great guy (okay, he's my roommate, so I'm a little biased)!

I enjoyed the taped stage play setting and all of the characters were immediately familiar to me, having just viewed the 1942 version. I rarely miss anything that Nathan Lane does and thought him perfect casting as Sheridan Whiteside.

However...it all seemed a bit forced to me. Lane's delivery was good and his mugging very funny, but he was working all the time. It just didn't seem to come naturally. The "Banjo" character was just an impersonation of Durante and an average one at that. As with the '42 film, I feel this character was superfluous.

The overall impression for me was one of a very good amateur company doing their very best to put on a show. I never forgot it was a play, whereas in the '42 version, I got more involved in the story.

As for the inter-act comments from the host and hostess, I skipped those immediately (so grateful for DVD technology!). The newsreel footage and swing music were delightful between the acts, though.

What a wonderful, witty comedy this is. I was so glad PBS broadcasted this terrific stage production. Beautifully directed by Jerry Zaks. I loved all the performances, but Jean Smart was especially fabulous as the ridiculous Lorraine Sheldon. The dialogue in this play is so good that even if you don't get an opportunity to see it, you'll get a good chuckle out of reading the script.

We were unable to get tickets for this show while in NYC on vacation this summer, so it was a pure delight to have live Broadway brought into our home! We can only hope for more productions of a similar nature!!

PBS is to be commended for its "Stage on Screen" series premiere with this live broadcast from the newly restored 42nd Street theater district in New York City. While Nathan Lane has less of the imperious acidic bite that Monty Woolley brought to the 1942 film, Lane and the play still have punch and sparkle.

Of necessity, the live stage performance lacks the brisk pace of the movie simply because of the stops for scene changes or intermissions between acts. In addition, the classic film was pared down for length. In this broadcast, the interruptions were at least filled with chatty information about the play, the people represented in the play, and the resurrection of 42nd Street.

Despite or because of its dated allusions and overt references, the play is a delightful slice of real life in America just prior to World War II. The work stands up well and is likely to be a classic of 20th Century American theater.