Wild About Harry

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Comments (0) By Robin Dougherty Thursday, Aug 19 1999

...continued from page 1

Frank Edwards

Dream on, Johnny: Barry Tarallo muses while Irene Adjan works

Details

Through September 12.
Jan McArt's Rooftop Royal Palm Festival Dinner Theatre,
303 SE Mizner Blvd, Boca Raton;
800-841-6765.

Written by Betty Smith and George Abbott.
Directed by Bob Bogdanoff.
With Irene Adjan, Barry Tarallo, Elizabeth Dimon, and Daniel Franzese.

More About

Joseph Guglielmo's choreography ranges from workmanlike, in his movement of large numbers of people around the stage with no particular flair, to ambitious and winning, as when he has Harry run and kick up his heels, a feat that actor Daniel Franzese, who is of considerable girth, accomplishes as the audience gasps. A scene dubbed "The Halloween Interlude" features a dream sequence in which Johnny is approached by real and imagined demons, who move toward him in an antiquated Fifties-style jazz ballet. This dates the play more than it does the choreographer. Also musty are Paul Favini's costumes, many of them gingham dresses aching for a neighborhood revival of Oklahoma. As for the many ill-fitting wigs -- well, only the deluded Cissy could think they have refinement.