CurtainUp
CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features, Annotated Listings
HOME PAGE

SITE GUIDE

SEARCH


REVIEWS

REVIEW ARCHIVES

ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP

FEATURES

NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings


LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway

NYC Restaurants

BOOKS and CDs

OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
DC
Philadelphia
Elsewhere

QUOTES

TKTS

PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS

LETTERS TO EDITOR

FILM

LINKS

MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
Writing for Us


Globe Valves,China valve, valve Manufacturer, valve supplier, link check valves, ball valves, Butterfly Valves,valves Butterfly valves 2011.06.05, Gate valves, Ball Valves,Gate Valves,Check Valves Plug Valvesglobe valves, butterfly valves, Zhejiang sedelon valve co.,ltd.
valve factory,valve corporation,valve company China Valve manufacturer and Supplier
A CurtainUp Review
Prune Danish

By Miriam Colin



Jackie Mason
Jackie Mason
Jackie Mason's sixth Broadway solo show serves up day old (and then some) packaged pastry as if it were taken straight off a tray of fine, freshly baked patisserie tarts. There's no discount for less than fresh from the oven humor either. To Mason devotees (and there are many) this won't matter since much of his appeal stems from the distinctive Mason-ic Yiddish-American inflection and body language. In short, like its predecessors, the appeal of Prune Danish depends as much on the jokester as the jokes.

The only thing brand new about this show is the title, which refers to a favorite Jewish confection but seems to harbor no metaphoric meaning. Elyse Sommer's 1999 review of Much Ado About Everything pretty much describes the essence of Prune Danish. Expect a few amusing new caricatures (like the ones about Israeli leaders Sharon and Peres), and a lot of barely updated replays of his equal opportunity brand of insult humor laced with what Elyse described as his "cantorial wisdom." The ever over-sized ego (did you ever read a longer more hyperbolic bio in any Playbill?) and conservatism-fed mean spiritedness have increasingly diminished that wisdom's wit.

To give Mason his due, he's a talented caricaturist. His robotic head-shoulder and hand movements capture the essence of his victims with a sharpness akin to Al Hirshfeld's pen strokes. His timing is as on the button as ever and even the show's limited run is smartly timed to fly out of the Royale along with the sunshine bound Snowbirds who adore his shtick even when the comic pastry is saturated with fat that has been standing around too long.

Prune Danish is the second solo show starring a comedian, to open on Broadway in the last fortnight. But Say Goodnight Gracie, while not much of a play and also relying on familiar humor and a core audience of old timers, is a touching homage to life and love. Prune Danish is Jackie Mason's homage to Jackie Mason.

LINK
Much Ado About Everything

Prune Danish
Written and directed by Jackie Mason
Lighting Design: Traci Klainer
Sound Design: Christopher Cronin
Running time: 2 hours
Royale Theater, 242 W. 45th St. 212/239-6200
Royale, 242 W. 45th St., (Broadway/8th Ave), 239-6200
6/1/02-12/1/02; opening 10/8/02.
Tue - Sat 8pm, Wed-Sat 2pm, Sun 3pm--$40-$75
Reviewed by Miriam Colins based on October 19th performance.

metaphors dictionary cover
6, 500 Comparative Phrases including 800 Shakespearean Metaphors by CurtainUp's editor.
Click image to buy.
Go here for details and larger image.



broadwaynewyork.com


The Broadway Theatre Archive


amazon


©Copyright 2002, Elyse Sommer, CurtainUp.
Information from this site may not be reproduced in print or online without specific permission from esommer@curtainup.com