Tom Stoppard, writer of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead"" and the Tony award-winning ""The Coast of Utopia"" also wrote a clever little farce called ""On the Razzle."" While not exactly the deepest of intellectual pursuits, the play is a greatly pleasing work. Filled with cross-talk and wordplay and an all-around excellent cast, ""On the Razzle"" confounds and delights with a hell of panache.
""On the Razzle"" is Stoppard's adaptation of an Austrian play that transformed multiple times, most famously being ""Hello, Dolly!"" It is easy to summarize the play because, well, it's ""Hello, Dolly!"" more or less, sans singing and with three times as much dialogue.
The differences are worth noting since you're not going to see any Dollys in this show - The play concerns an overbearing, entrepreneurial and soon to be married uncle attempting to keep his niece safe from a young casanova. A pair of shopkeepers eager to see the world and go, sigh, ""On the razzle,"" makes up most of the rest of the action. Plenty of confusion ensues and if one is looking for deep thought, prep for disappointment. ""On the Razzle"" is a delightful farce, pure and simple, and entertainment is its greatest concern.
The technical aspects of the production are solid and merit mention. The set is sophisticated and convincingly portrays the shops, city streets and restaurants that make up the locales of the show, while never distracting from the dialogue.
The play asks for nothing more than a well-lit stage, and this is well delivered. It's often been said that the best behind-the-scenes work is never noticed and that holds true here - the various technical aspects set the scene and do it well, leaving absolutely nothing to complain about in that regard.
The acting is more than competent and exhibits a skill of delivery worthy of Stoppard's quick banter and verbal sparring. Stealing most every scene he appears in is Charlie Bauer, who plays the especially verbose Melchior with a welcome overabundance of manic energy and verbal fortitude. Also worth noting are Josh Krevsky and Katheryn Bilbo who manage an effortless charisma as the enthusiastic shop keepers Weinberl and Christopher.
In short, go and see the play. It's a keen diversion and even if its themes aren't of the deepest stock, the clever wordplay and exceptional cast make it a worthwhile endeavor.
