LTM’s “The Man Who Came To Dinner” old-fashioned fun

MANCHESTER — The Little Theatre of Manchester is kicking off their 50th season with some old-fashioned fun in Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s comedy “The Man Who Came To Dinner.”
The show, which was a Broadway hit in 1939, revolves around a famous radio personality and theater critic named Sheridan Whiteside, who is in Ohio on the lecture circuit when he visits a family, the Stanleys, slips on some ice and becomes an unexpected and unwelcome guest.
Whiteside, played by the dominating David Moske, is best described as the tart-tongued Simon Cowell of his day.
This man takes insults to a new level, telling the put upon nurse, played by Christy Donahue, “you have the touch of a sex-starved cobra,” and, “by the way, I loved you in ‘Rebecca.’” Pretty esoteric stuff, and the play is loaded with references about the rich and famous of the 1930s.
The character of Whiteside was based on the real-life critic and bon vivant, Alexander Wolcott, whose circle includes Mahatma Ghandi, actors Cary Grant, Zazu Pitts, and Lillian Russell, and the novelist Booth Tarkington.
Some of those names might not come trippingly to the tongue, but they were the Nelson Mandelas, Brad Pitts and Norman Mailers of their day.
Whiteside wastes no time in taking over the house, informing the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, that they have to stay in their rooms. Whiteside threatens them with a lawsuit of $150,000, which was quite a sum back then.
Being a jerk and charming concurrently is no easy combination, but Moske pulls it off with a booming voice and supercilious sneer.
Whiteside is really a big spoiled baby, and his long suffering assistant, Maggie Cutler, played by the excellent Latoya Williams, finally has enough of the good life of travelling in what she refers to as Whiteside’s “small but vicious circle,” and wants to settle down. She meets and falls for small town newspaper owner, Bert Jefferson, played by the solid Jim Power.
The Victorian living room where the entire play takes place, by director Keach-Longo and Fred T. Blish, is period perfect, with many little details, like the entrance way to the dining room and branch stems above the entrance window. The staircase is as solid and fine as any in a real home.
The big band music set the mood well, with sound by Jim Ryan, and the lighting was seamless, by Jared Towler.
The antique wheelchair that Whiteside uses is quite a find and adds much to the believability of the show.
The costumes by Viviana Lamb are beautiful and numerous, including many fancy ties and snazzy smoking jackets for Whiteside and some exquisite gowns and furs for the glamorous actress on the hunt for a rich Englishman, Lorraine Sheldon, played to the hilt by Christine Gill.
Gill is a campy delight when she gets dramatic and upset, and funny when she tries to squeeze out a tear, to no avail.
Anthony Urillo has the triple role of playing the cockroach gift-giving Prof. Metz, suave actor Beverley Carlton, and a wacky Hollywood operator named Banjo.
Urillo isn’t helped by a bald wig that looks like a bathing cap for the professor and a mop of hair that almost hides his eyes for the famous actor. He has his own hair for the Banjo guy, but Urillo has a strange nervous twitch that makes him seem amped up on cocaine, and a voice that is reminiscent of the stand-up comedians Sam Kinison or Gilbert Godfried — okay in small doses, but wearing after a while.
The large cast does a fine job, with special notice going to the star-struck Mrs. Earnest W. Stanley played by the wonderful Marge Patefield, and the endlessly cheerful Dr. Bradley, well played by Dana O’Neal.
There are some fun facts about telephones then and cell phones today, such as when Whiteside calls the operator to contact someone without a number and tells the operator that it is her job to know it, not his. How some things have changed.
Despite some major changes in how we function day to day, people are still people, and behaving egotistically and selfishly and amusingly is something we can all recognize and enjoy.

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER

Three Stars
Location: Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester
Production: Written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Directed and produced by Joseph Keach-Longo, with set design by Keach-Longo and Fred T. Blish. Stage managed by Tom Goodin. Sound by Jim Ryan. Light design by Jared Towler. Costumes by Vivanna Lamb.
Running time: 2 ½ hours, including one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. through May 23.
Tickets: $16 — $23. Seniors over 60 and students receive a discount. Call the box office at 860-647-9824, or visit their website at www.cheneyhall.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
David Moske … Sheridan Whiteside
Latoya Williams … Maggie Cutler
Christine Gill … Lorraine Sheldon
Anthony Urillo … Prof. Metz, Beverley Carlton, Banjo
Marge Patefield … Mrs. Earnest W. Stanley
Doug Stoyer … Earnest W. Stanley
Dana O’Neal … Dr. Bradley
Christy Donahue … Miss Preen
Brain Courtemanche … Richard Stanley
Whitney Quaglia … June Stanley
Keith Giard … John
Jennifer Gresh … Sarah
Anne Goodin … Mrs. Dexter
Joyce Hodson … Mrs. Dexter 5/21
Marilyn Rotondo … Mrs. McCutcheon
Pat Covino … Harriet Stanley
Jim Power … Bert Jefferson
Charles Harvey … Michaelson, Radio Tech, Expressman
Gus Keach-Longo … Radio Tech, Convict, Expressman, Deputy
John Louis … Convict
Matthew Rodgers … Sandy, Convict, Deputy
Bob Morrison … Westcott, plainclothesman, guard
Katie Emery, Tim Estremera, Taylor Madison Gray, Jonathan Keach-Longo, Emily Stoyer … Children’s Choir