OFF-BROADWAY REVIEW
FLAMINGO COURT REVIEW
Reviewed by Jenny Sandman
Published 2008-08-25
I never thought I’d say this, but Jamie Farr deserves better material.
Best known as Klinger on M*A*S*H, he’s now starring alongside Anita Gillete in Flamingo Court. It’s the story of the people that live in three different apartments in a senior community in Florida , and it relies on every stock farce in the book. Double-takes, pratfalls, and jokes about flatulence, impotence, and the inability to work one’s VCR all make repeated appearances.
The first piece is the story of Angelina, her “dead” husband, and her secret admirer, Dominic. The second piece, the shortest of the three, is a more poignant look at an elderly couple dealing with the ravages of Alzheimer’s. The final act involves 89-year-old Harry and his grasping, money-grubbing daughter, and the elaborate plan he contrives to keep her from getting his fortune.
Jamie Farr and Anita Gillette star in all three, and while they work well together, the material is tired. Granted, the mostly elderly audience ate it up; perhaps being raised on a theatrical diet of dramatic pauses, slamming doors and double-takes, they could appreciate Flamingo Court. Personally I enjoy humor with a little more subtlety to it. To his credit, Farr looks like he’s having a great time onstage. And while this particular style of theater isn’t my cup of tea, for what it is, it’s done well. The three parts move quickly, and sets (Jim Youmans) and costumes (Carol Sherry) are eerily accurate. I’m really looking forward to seeing Farr in something else soon—hopefully something with a little more substance to it.
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