Somewhere between Monty Python and Groucho Marx, there is Around the World in 80 Days, Mark Brown's adaptation of the Jules Verne classic. It proves to be an excellent choice for beginning the Milwaukee Chamber Theater's current season (and its 35th anniversary).
Mention the play's title and one almost certainly thinks of the famous 1956 film starring David Niven as Phileas Fogg, the unflappable English adventurer who vows to circle the globe in 80 days. The film won Best Picture among its five Academy Awards. It also is notable for its myriad cameo appearances by celebrities including John Carradine, Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich and Buster Keaton. A lesser version (same title) was filmed in 2004 starring Jackie Chan.
Playwright Mark Brown borrows heavily from the original Jules Verne novel and the 1956 film. The play, like the novel, is set in 1872 the dawn of modern transportation. The play opens on a quiet note as Phileas Fogg goes through his predictable daily routine. However, things ramp up to breakneck speed once the sober-sided Fogg makes an unusual wager with his friends. He promises to cross seven continents in 80 days. To win the bet, Fogg and his entourage must hop from ship to railroad to elephant (!) to ice boat. One of the play's running jokes is that, despite a succession of remote locations, Fogg is never without his cup of tea.
Although the 1956 film had hundreds of actors, the Milwaukee Chamber Theater play scales things down to five actors who portray 39 characters. In this production, Matt Daniels plays a dignified Phileas Fogg. Traveling with him is his manservant, Passepartout (Chris Klopatek). There's also a blundering English detective (Robert Spencer) who believes Fogg to be a bank robbery suspect.
Marti Gobel, as an Indian princess named Aouda, is an alluring addition to the traveling party. The fifth actor, locally well-known Norman Moses, has the task of switching characters about every three minutes. This part gives him ample chance to display his comic versatility. His most memorable character is a slow-witted American cowboy who at first teases the foreigners when they meet on a train. Passepartout eventually wins the cowboy's admiration. The cowboy, now trying to mimic a French accent, announces news of a peace treaty as a "piss" treaty. This joke is representative of the play's humor.
As the clock ticks on, the travelers get increasingly anxious about making it back to London on time. Things then become more frantic and hilarious. Tops among this talented cast is Chris Klopatek as Passepartout, who nearly steals the show. His expressive features are priceless to watch.
This G-rated show is definitely intended for family viewing. So much transpires in such quick succession that it keeps both parents and kids on their toes. Director Patrick Holland keeps things running smoothly throughout. He must be a stickler for precise comic timing, because that's exactly what is observed onstage. There is so much to praise about Around the World in 80 Days that one almost hates to mention the show would be even better if it were trimmed by at least 20 minutes. The race, as exciting as it is, cannot sustain most viewers for nearly two and one-half hours.
