If you think about where animal crackers fit on the nutritional food scale, you've got some idea where the Marx Brothers musical, Animal Crackers, fits in the theatrical food chain. Well, almost. Although it's not intellectually taxing nor filled with bold insights about the human condition, Animal Crackers is the perfect distraction from life's daily cares -- much as the original film was for audiences in 1930.
Milwaukee's Skylight Theater puts on a rousing good show in this lavish production. It's filled with laughter from start to finish. A large, talented cast; impressive production values and topnotch musicians all enhance the onstage merriment.
For those who didn't see the original 1928 Broadway production (or can't recall the 1930 film), Animal Crackers has all the typical Marx Brothers shtick. There's Harpo, a curly-haired mute who whistles or toots a horn for exclamation; Chico, who keeps many of the running jokes alive; Zeppo, the comic "straight man" and the irascible Groucho. (Interestingly, the three actors who played the Marx Brothers in a production of Cocoanuts 14 years ago again play the immortal Groucho, Chico and Harpo. The intervening years haven't marred their exquisite comic timing.) In addition to the now-famous comic bits, the original Animal Crackers gave America some of its classic tunes, too. Some of these include: "I Wanna Be Loved By You," "Watching the Clouds Roll By" and "Three Little Words." Another of the songs, "Hooray for Captain Spauling," became so intertwined with Groucho Marx that he used it as his theme song for a TV quiz show he hosted years later, "You Bet Your Life." The familiar songs are certainly an unexpected topping to this holiday treat.
Of course, it's Groucho (brilliantly played by Norman Moses) who steals most of the scenes. His brothers get a few nice moments, but the rest of the cast is largely at their disposal. The only standout is the enormously gifted Linda Stephens, who plays the Margaret Dumont character (in this case, Mrs. Rittenhouse).
Not surprisingly, the plot gets the Marx Brothers mixed up in high society. The Long Island crowd eagerly awaits the freewheeling antics of their unconventional guest, Captain Spaulding (Groucho), who has just returned from an African safari. However, they are less inclined to forgive the quirks exhibited by Chico (Mark David Kaplan), who shows up as a musician to play at Mrs. Rittenhouse's party, or Harpo (Ray Jivoff), who just ... shows up. Naturally, the society folks tend to gravitate more to the fourth Marx brother, Zeppo (Benjamin Howes), a society columnist for a city tabloid. As one might expect, the plot is frequently interrupted by Groucho's jokes, often told directly to the audience. It is refreshing to note that only a few of the jokes are groaners; most are actually funny. Even some of the most time-honored comic bits evoke a smile, such as Groucho's famous deadpan line: "I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I'll never know."
Part of the fun is watching characters behave, well, uncharacteristically. For instance, when Groucho can't decide between marrying Mrs. Rittenhouse and her comely neighbor, he suggests that all three get married. One would imagine that these proper women would be shocked by such an indecent proposal. However, they are unabashedly thrilled to be part of Captain Spaulding's divided romantic interest. So it goes.
Director Bill Theisen manages to pull together all the goofy onstage antics, songs and rare moments of genuine romantic interest. Music director Richard Carsey is responsible for handling 13 songs in the show, a number that truly makes it a musical. One observes that the full-scale production numbers are particularly well done (not always the Skylight Theater's strongest suit.) Credit for this triumph also goes to choreographer Pam Kriger, who keeps the cast on its toes, whether they're doing the Charleston or other circa-1920s dances. The rich parade of costumes (the Long Island crowd certainly looks the part) also puts an added polish on this memorable production. The real Marx brothers may be long gone, but their spirit certainly lives on in Animal Crackers.
