Opening a new comedy season at the Goodman is a remake of the famous 1928 Marx Brothers classic, "Animal Crackers." It’s no small task to sweep the dust off an old classic, especially if you only intend to cast nine of the 33 original parts (with a woman - Molly Brennan - playing the part of Harpo).
The story's the same: a rich patron of the arts, Mrs. Rittenhouse (Ora Jones) throws a party to welcome the phony explorer Captain Spaulding (Groucho, played by Joey Slotnick) from his trip to Africa. The plot gets thicker with a series of mishaps, thefts and a most curious love story that unfolds with the most unsuspecting characters.
Musical numbers include Groucho's hit, "Hello, I Must Be Going," and Brennan does a masterful job with Harpo's classic leg grab maneuver and even the sticky finger trick.
Though there are significantly more gag lines, all the elements of the beloved classic are in place with breathtaking costumes by Jenny Mannis.
Reviewed by Centerstage!
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