Open Fist delivers with “deLEARious”
Listen to this articleIn a style reminiscent of Mel Brooks and Monte Python the Open Fist Theatre Company has launched a revival of the smash hit production of deLEARious now on stage at the Atwater Village Theatre. Book, music and lyrics are by Phil Swann and Ron West and it is directed by Ron West with Musical Direction by Jan Roper and it is nonstop laughter for the better part of two hours.
While centered around the late 16th century the show does skip around through various times in history. Queen Elizabeth I is dead, King James is in and King Lear is out and clearly the Bible needs some major revision and while still open to debate there is abundant evidence that the Bard himself, William Shakespeare, played a role in writing the King James version of the Bible. Meanwhile good old King Lear has clearly gone mad. From this explodes a nonstop run of madcap comedy at its finest.
The cast is large for a small venue, seventeen actors in all, each rendering superb performances. The show is a musical but basic consisting mainly of vocals with piano accompaniment. But the vocals are strong and good and the piano is excellent. So when you add it all up what you have is a very funny show, very well done and consistently hilarious coupled with excellent music, which when taken together generates almost nonstop laughter and a certain sense of joy and levity.
In many ways deLEARious is complex and thus not that easy to define except to say that if their goal is to entertain then Open Fist and its cast of players has undeniably delivered. You really owe it to yourself to go and enjoy this show.
deLEARious is playing now through December 16th at the Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90039. Show times are Thursday, Friday and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday Matinees at 3:00 p.m. Making it easy there is even abundant free parking just 1 block south of the theatre. Reservations and ticketing are available either by calling 323-882-5912 or online at: www.openfist.org
•••• •••• ••••• •••• ••••
If you enjoy art and theatre you will also enjoy a visit to: www.ronirwin.net
Ron Irwin was born in Chicago, Illinois a long time ago. He served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam, became a trial lawyer, TV and radio host, CEO of a public company and once held an Emmy. He never won an Emmy he just held one. Ron has written and published twelve books. His most important book to date is “Live, Die, Live Again” in which Ron tells of his early life and his unexpected and very temporary death in 2012. That experience dramatically refocused his life and within the pages of that book Ron reveals how he achieved a much healthier life, ridding himself of Diabetes, Cancer and Heart Failure. Now Ron enjoys writing about many things including health topics, travel [he has circled the globe several times], adventure, culinary experiences and the world of performing art. Ron’s motto is “Live better, live longer and live stronger because it feels great and annoys others.” Contact the author.