REVIEW BY JANE KERNS / Special to the Star-Advertiser
Diamond Head Theatre’s current offering is Neil Simon’s “The Goodbye Girl,” a musical adaptation of his 1977 film starring Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason.
John Rampage directs and choreographs this overlooked 1993 Broadway show that starred Martin Short and Bernadette Peters. In addition to dozens of plays and screenplays, Simon authored several scripts for Broadway musicals such as Promises, Promises and Sweet Charity.
‘The Goodbye Girl’Presented by Diamond Head Theatre» Where: Diamond Head Theatre, 520 Makapuu Ave. |
When dancer Paula McFadden is abruptly dumped by her actor-boyfriend, she and her young daughter Lucy are left only with his Manhattan apartment – until new-to-the-city actor Elliot Garfield arrives with a subletting agreement. Following a territorial battle, Paula and Elliot agree to cohabitate while she looks for a job and he stars in an off-off-Broadway production. Conflicts arise, but romance soon blossoms – complications included.
Set designer Willie Sabel and DHT’s production team deliver the urban feel of Manhattan, skirting from the brownstone apartment building to Central Park and various rehearsal and theatrical locales. Sabel designs a realistic residence for the trio that easily accommodates the onstage activity.
Musical director Megan Mount solidly leads the small but mighty instrumental ensemble. Composer Marvin Hamlisch and lyricist David Zippel pack both acts with music and provide several opportunities for the eclectic ensemble of dancers to strut their stuff. The delightful spoof on Richard Simmons showcases Paula and friends as a dancing cupcake, hamburger, and fries. Karen G. Wolfe’s imaginative costumes deserve special kudos here.
The plethora of numbers combined with the frenetic energy and rapid-fire dialogue of Simon’s characters sometimes make the show feel like it is trying too hard to please. But as the plot progresses, Simon’s facile and realistic dialogue becomes plausible and engaging. The characters have eccentricities and imperfections, but are basically good-hearted and likable.
Tricia Marciel handles Paula’s emotional range as a committed mother, duped lover, and discouraged dancer. Just listening to Marciel sing is worth the admission price. She kicks off the show by delivering three diverse numbers in the first two scenes alone. Her song, “How Can I Win?” sensitively reveals Paula’s vulnerability late in the first act.
Stephanie Zaharis captures both Lucy’s spunkiness and sincerity, and her naturalness on stage is refreshing. The multi-talented young actress flawlessly sings in eight numbers, kicks up her heels when necessary, and carries on believable conversations with adults and her own friends.
As the dedicated but quirky actor Elliot, Pedro Armando Haro energetically tackles the demanding role head on. He wins Paula’s heart with his improvised love song in the sweet rooftop scene, and wins the audience over with “I Can Play This Part” as he solidifies his relationship with Lucy in a Central Park canoe.
Big laughs are provided when Palomalinda Goodwyn’s sassy landlady rocks the house with her bluesy “2 Good 2 B Bad.” Mathias Maas as the eccentric Budapest director of “Richard III” is another audience favorite.
“The Goodbye Girl” is an enjoyable outing, offering a spicy romantic story about a couple of decent people who take life on in an honest and relatable way.