Slapstick is Back in My Life and I am Lovin' It

Slapstick is back in my life and I am lovin it!!!!!!

Around the World in 80 Days

Thanks you from the bottom of my heart – Pittsburgh Public Theatre – for bringing the onstage play    version of Around the World in 80 Days…. to Pittsburgh…

As I entered the O’Reilly Theater to sit down… the stage OMG! it was void of any … wait that is a stage with people sitting right and left? Hmmm well then how in the world are these actors going to make me feel like I am witnessing one of the greatest journeys of our theatrical times? All I can say is that I am all too pleasantly surprised!

The rendition started off a little slow for me – in retrospect because I knew not what to expect… I did not have knowledge of the crew at all.  And then, hardly 10 minutes into the story, I was sitting up in anticipation of every next move.

Hats off to all 5 actors who under the graceful direction of Marcia Milgrom Dodge and the rest of the production crew took me on that wonderful journey.  With only 4 chairs, an umbrella, sections of railings, a wearable building (just gotta see it), very well done costumes, innumerable wigs and an elephant (yes it is big) the talented Tom Beckett, Ron Bohmer, Jeffrey Kuhn, Meera Rohit Kumbhani (Yesss another Indian on stage!) and Richard B Watson took me to far off lands that I have been to before!

The slapstick performance is what took me by surprise and simply made a story watched multiple times – alive again! Actually, I thought that the actors were having too much fun with this one! Good for you all!
All 5 actors are seasoned and I felt like they have been training for this particular effort. Even though all the actors performed well beyond expectations, my favorite is Jeffrey with his acrobatic dancing abilities and the accent allowed for the lively slapstick to put icing on this live cake!  He says ‘piss’ so elegantly – go see it to understand please…. Meera you rock because I did not know you were the same actor throughout all the different people you played! Tom – chameleon shall we say? And you were lovin every minute of it pausing just enough to get our reaction? Richard, I never knew a guy to swing hips the impressive way you do! And Ron, nice commanding voice!

Throughout the performance, the actors perfectly synchronized their actions to the point that one scene made me sea sick! Did not know that could be done but they sure did it! The most dramatic action on board ship during a typhoon presented the whole crew at their peak… the amazing synchronicity kept the audience in the palm of their hands.

Thank you again for a chance to get away and be purely entertained. This definitely cleared my mind to face another day in my busy life.

Sunita S. Pandit (AKA mrscardiology)
Sunita is the wife of Dr. Santosh Pandit and is responsible for running his cardiology office. As the wife of a cardiologist, she has become passionate about combating the "perils of the heart." Constantly in pursuit of preventive care, she is dedicated to recording her husbands observations on what keeps a heart healthy.