The history of the British sketch comedy revue Beyond the Fringe is a rich and storied one. Four bright young Englishmen—Dudley Moore, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller and Alan Bennett—opened this show to great acclaim at London’s Fortune Theatre in May 1961. They subsequently released a cast album on the Parlophone label, brought their act to Broadway in 1962 and won over American audiences. Beyond the Fringe not only represented a groundbreaking endeavor in stage comedy; it also launched big careers for its clever-minded creators.
Cook passed away in 1995, Moore in 2002. Yet the legacy of this literate and brainy collection of satires lives on, most recently and notably in a revival at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre. Under the sharp direction of David Compton, actors Elliot Manogue, Scott Rice and Rob Shumate—with an occasional assist from stage manager Ken Dale Thompson—take 14 Fringe sketches and work them over with tons of smart fun. They play the 40-year-old material with the right blend of precision, insouciance and smart-alecky sensibility—and, amazingly, it holds up. Even sketches concerning atomic-bomb paranoia are so well-written, and performed with such committed enthusiasm, that they work within their own boundaries. Other topics include England’s infamous Great Train Robbery, a harrowing cab ride to the House of Lords and an interview with one of the shepherds present at the birth of Christ.
The cast functions well as an ensemble. The delightfully zany Rice typically takes the more broadly comedic roles, and he’s equally matched by the talented Shumate, who does subtler, darker character work that resonates beyond the final curtain. Manogue nicely handles a lot of straight-man bits. Though less assured than his sidekicks, he’s well into the spirit of things and has ample time during the show’s run (through Aug. 30)to build on a solid foundation. The trio admirably achieve the requisite British accents, which are a prime ingredient of the Fringe humor. This is lighthearted yet sophisticated theatrical fare at its entertaining best.
Another ’60s-era theatrical chestnut opened in Franklin, where Boiler Room Theatre is presenting You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown through July 19. Clark M. Gesner’s adaptation of Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic strip is a classic of the “small musical” genre. This production is distinguished by the fact that it represents the Nashville premiere of the 1999 Broadway revival version, which featured new arrangements for the music, a couple of new songs by Andrew Lippa and additional scripted material by Michael Mayer. The changes seem unnecessary to these retro eyes and ears. The original character of Patty has been replaced with Charlie Brown’s little sister, Sally, whose song “My New Philosophy” sounds forced. The other new addition, “Beethoven Day,” which mines the musical obsession of the character Schroeder, feels superfluous.
If the arrangements have a more modern feel, they lack the colorful whimsy of Gesner, who played piano for the show when it debuted off-Broadway in 1967. The soaring passages in “The Kite” sound subdued now; the strict-waltz-time lilt of “The Baseball Game” is gone. Most horrifying, Snoopy’s great number “Suppertime” no longer has its vintage music-hall tempo. Happily, other good numbers—including the closer “Happiness”—come off basically intact in musical director Jamey Green’s hands.
In the cast, newcomers Tadd Himelrick and Kelly Allen join BRT stalwarts Megan Murphy, Lewis Kempfer and Sloan Yarborough. Mark Allen handles the role of the title character. If their singing is often good, their comedy feels forced, resulting in an ultimately disappointing show. Director Corbin Green allows his actors to play the script like cartoon characters come too loudly to life. The subtleties of the Schulz humor aren’t missed altogether, but neither are they warmly played. Oftentimes, the performers are working far too hard in a show that should bespeak childhood simplicity.
Obituary
John Henry Redwood, a distinguished actor-writer-director whose work graced the stage of Nashville’s American Negro Playwright Theatre (ANPT), died suddenly June 17 at his home in Philadelphia. Cause of death was a heart attack; he was 60. Redwood was a serious player in American theater, appearing in a number of works by August Wilson both on Broadway and regionally. Other New York appearances included productions of Guys and Dolls and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest with Danny DeVito. Redwood’s film work included Mr. Holland’s Opus, Passion Fish, Big and Gordon’s War. In Nashville, Redwood directed a first-rate production of Wilson’s Fences at ANPT in the fall of 2001. Tennessee State University also mounted local productions of Redwood’s plays The Old Settler and Acted Within Proper Departmental Procedure. Just prior to his untimely passing, he had completed the workshopping of a new play with autobiographical undertones, An Ole Soul, A Young Spirit.
