Thus the stage is set for both feuding and romance in this engaging Neil Simon comedy featuring a good story, likable characters, witty dialogue, and in this case a lot of singing. Marvin Hamlisch and David Zippel have set this comedy to music with a pleasant and entertaining enough musical score, though the insertion of singing and dancing in some scenes seem a little awkwardly added.

San Diego newcomer Jason Heil stars as Elliot, not looking like the nerdy-type character the role implies, but delivering a charming performance as a genuinely good and amusing actor who likes to tease the initially mean and rude Goodbye Girl. After several standoffs, Paula begins to see his goodness and generosity, and his teasing puts a mirror up to her own incivility. As that Paula, Theresa Layne offers a very authentic feel to the mid-thirties mom who is bitter, wary, but still a hopeless romantic at heart. The two share their best musical moment in the ostensibly improvised, quirky love song Paula. Alexa Bergman is the adorably precocious Lucy who handles the loss of the last actor boyfriend a little better than mom, but who is even warier than mom when she finds herself falling for Elliot’s charm as well.

The spirited ensemble includes some fine dancers as well as Renae Mitchell as the tell-it-like-it-is landlady who belts out a big 2 Good 2 B Bad solo, Mark Ciemiewicz as an outrageous director of Richard III, and Brian Imoto as an over-the-top aerobics instructor a la Richard Simmons where Paula gets an embarrassing job as a dancing order of “Freedom Fries” next to a dancing candy corn (Athena Espinoza) and a swivel-hipped pizza pie (Marianne Nevitt). Between Paula as Freedom Fries and Elliot as a very flashy and gay Richard III, the two do seem to be a natural fit for each other.

Performs through November 21, 2004.

Rob Hopper
National Arts Digest