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REVIEW: IT'S A WONDERFUL (ONE-MAN SHOW) LIFE
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Roasted chestnut
Jason Grossman flings himself into a whirlwind one-man performance of a certain holiday classic in "It's a Wonderful (One Man Show) Life."
By JOSEPH LANGHAM
Offoffoff.com
"It's a Wonderful (One Man Show) Life" gently reminds us that maybe,
just maybe, the holidays aren't that bad after all. Merry Christmas, Mr.
Potter!
Jason Grossman nimbly performs this solo version of that most classic of
classic holiday films. He does exactly what you think he's going to
do. He gets up there all by his lonesome and tells you the story of one
George Bailey. Have you seen this movie? It's the one starring Jimmy
Stewart. You know, the Tom Hanks of yesteryear? (Or is it Edward
Norton?) They always show it at Christmas time? If you haven't, you
should. And then go see Mr. Grossman do all the characters in this
wonderful one-man show.
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| IT'S A WONDERFUL (ONE-MAN SHOW) LIFE | Written and directed by: Sharon Fogarty.
Based on: the movie "It's a Wonderful Life".
Cast: Jason Grossman.
| | SCHEDULE | Actor's Playground
412 Eighth Avenue #1, 2nd floor, btw. 30th & 31st
Dec. 12-22, 2002
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The thing most striking about Jason's performance was not only the
nicely done impressions of those oh-so-familiar characters, but
the way he manages to imitate the emotion involved. For the bulk of the
time he didn't really seem to be doing Jimmy, but rather, playing George
like Jimmy would have — with truth and conviction. His love for Mary and
the kids, his upset at losing the $8,000 and his contempt for Mr. Potter
were all very convincing from a sheer acting standpoint. Sure, there
were a few times where we got the standard Jimmy Stewart act, but they
were well placed for comic relief. The rest of the characters were also
well executed and the pacing and timing were terrific.
Sharon Fogarty (adapter/director) does a nice job translating the film
to stage. She figures that most of you have seen the dang thing, so she
pretty much cuts to the chase. The sound choices were enjoyable and
helped to push the story along without drawing too much attention. The
lighting could have been better. There were a few too many dark spots,
but that is more than likely a venue limitation as is the case in many
venues about town.
This show does an excellent job doing precisely what it is supposed to
do — it lifts your spirits in what can sometimes be a rather down
season. It reminds you that you are important in this world and that
you are more deeply loved by those who love you than you may ever
know. Here is a show that Jason Grossman can put on every year for
many, many years to come. It would be nice to see in the future a bit
more of Jason's own personal humor and a few more surprises in
presentation. Like when he eats his kids. That was funny. You'll
understand when you see it. Which you should. It is much more fun than
seeing it on TV again.
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DECEMBER 17, 2002
OFFOFFOFF.COM • THE GUIDE TO ALTERNATIVE NEW YORK
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