Jerry Van Dyke and Jack Iafrate in Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys.
RayLynn Theater marquis in Hot Springs.Audience members were excited to be at the premiere of Jerry Van Dyke’s production of Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys. The RayLynn Theater in Hot Springs was full of adoring fans.
The 79 year old actor is still going strong despite recent health concerns. He is so vital that he is joining the cast of the television sitcom, The Middle, in a recurring role as soon as The Sunshine Boys’ run is complete. Ironically in The Middle he will be playing Frankie’s dad alongside Marsha Mason as Frankie’s mom. Mason is one of Neil Simon’s ex-wives. It is a small world isn’t it.
Van Dyke has been a fixture in the area for many years, he owns an 800 acre farm near Benton. He also used to own property and the Jerry Van Dyke Soda Shoppe in Benton.
He said he has dreamed of performing in The Sunshine Boys for years. He asked several acting buddies to consider the role of Al Lewis but they were not healthy enough to take on such a strenuous challenge. Van Dyke wanted to portray Willie Clark, a cantankerous aging Vaudeville star asked to appear on a comedy special in the early 1970s, updated to the mid-1980s in this production, with his ex-partner Al Lewis. It was as if the part of Willie Clark had been penned specifically for Van Dyke. He filled the house slippers with ease. He knew he could do double duty appearing as Clark and directing the show at the same time, all he needed was a Lewis to go with his Clark.
Once Van Dyke met Village actor Jack Iafrate he knew he had finally found his Al Lewis. The two clicked right away. Jack and his wife Lee, also in the cast, moved to the Village from one of the from Bois Blanc Island, in the Straits of Mackinac, in Michigan.
They joined the Village Players shortly after moving to the Village and have been in many productions since day one. The 71 year old actor had the unenviable position of playing straight man to Van Dyke’s Clark. Add to that Van Dyke’s propensity to ad lib, Iafrate had to keep on his toes every second he was on stage at the Ray Lynn. He was masterful and rolled with the punches.
Thomas Cooper played Willie Clark’s long suffering agent/nephew in the play. Cooper was excellent as the much put upon Ben Silverman. It was obvious his character loved his curmudgeon of an uncle and that he never forgot his sense of duty and obligation as Clark’s only living relative. I got a kick out of his chest pains only on Wednesdays when he visited his uncle.
Kari Bars was hysterical as the full figure sexy sketch nurse. She flaunted her considerable assets with gushing dialogue.
Villager Lee Iafrate, Jack’s wife, sparkled in her petite part of the patient in the medical sketch reuniting Lewis and Clark for a CBS special. Lee is always eager and adept stepping into character roles. She is very dependable in supporting roles.
Elaine Jones had the best part in the comedy. She played the registered nurse exchanging barbs with Van Dyke’s Clark. Van Dyke auditioned several women for this part but it called for a black woman and none were auditioning. I was even called to audition for the part. He discovered Jones in the nearby Kroger and uncovered a diamond in the rough.
Because I had auditioned for the part I was quite familiar with the dialogue. Van Dyke once again varied from the script and saucy Jones got him back on track with loads of laughs. Her delivery was deliberately droll and delightful. I hope to see her on stage again. She was fun as was the entire production.
The Village’s Herm Dobscha played the part of the CBS Announcer. He was able to fill the hall with his mellifluous voice by audio tape. He was not present for the production. Herm can make a grocery list sound exciting with his dulcet tones. As an aside, I want to extend my sympathies to Herm, his brother passed away last week.
Dick Antoine was the voice of the director of the CBS special. No one can do exasperated like Antoine. He was right on point.
Founder of the RayLynn Theater, Tom Wilkins, played the CBS stage assistant. A role he was born to play. He is a constant fixture on the RayLynn stage, in front and behind the curtain.
Van Dyke was without a doubt the star of the show. Prior to the curtain opening a film montage saluting his illustrious career was shown on the theater’s side screens. It was fun to see how many I could identify. There were guest appearances on the Dick Van Dyke Show, the Judy Garland Show, funny out takes from Coach. There were movie clips featuring Van Dyke with John Wayne and other notable actors. The film clips settled the audience into their seats and got them ready for the main course. The curtain opened on a delightfully vintage set and the rest is history.
I left the theater feeling full of comedy. Toward the end of the evening Van Dyke brought the audience along with him when he forgot a line. It became an inside joke, almost as funny as the original Simon script. Van Dyke was Clark and he could do no wrong.
The Sunshine Boys will run through this weekend and next at the RayLynn Theater in Hot Springs.
The 79 year old actor is still going strong despite recent health concerns. He is so vital that he is joining the cast of the television sitcom, The Middle, in a recurring role as soon as The Sunshine Boys’ run is complete. Ironically in The Middle he will be playing Frankie’s dad alongside Marsha Mason as Frankie’s mom. Mason is one of Neil Simon’s ex-wives. It is a small world isn’t it.
Van Dyke has been a fixture in the area for many years, he owns an 800 acre farm near Benton. He also used to own property and the Jerry Van Dyke Soda Shoppe in Benton.
He said he has dreamed of performing in The Sunshine Boys for years. He asked several acting buddies to consider the role of Al Lewis but they were not healthy enough to take on such a strenuous challenge. Van Dyke wanted to portray Willie Clark, a cantankerous aging Vaudeville star asked to appear on a comedy special in the early 1970s, updated to the mid-1980s in this production, with his ex-partner Al Lewis. It was as if the part of Willie Clark had been penned specifically for Van Dyke. He filled the house slippers with ease. He knew he could do double duty appearing as Clark and directing the show at the same time, all he needed was a Lewis to go with his Clark.
Once Van Dyke met Village actor Jack Iafrate he knew he had finally found his Al Lewis. The two clicked right away. Jack and his wife Lee, also in the cast, moved to the Village from one of the from Bois Blanc Island, in the Straits of Mackinac, in Michigan.
They joined the Village Players shortly after moving to the Village and have been in many productions since day one. The 71 year old actor had the unenviable position of playing straight man to Van Dyke’s Clark. Add to that Van Dyke’s propensity to ad lib, Iafrate had to keep on his toes every second he was on stage at the Ray Lynn. He was masterful and rolled with the punches.
Thomas Cooper played Willie Clark’s long suffering agent/nephew in the play. Cooper was excellent as the much put upon Ben Silverman. It was obvious his character loved his curmudgeon of an uncle and that he never forgot his sense of duty and obligation as Clark’s only living relative. I got a kick out of his chest pains only on Wednesdays when he visited his uncle.
Kari Bars was hysterical as the full figure sexy sketch nurse. She flaunted her considerable assets with gushing dialogue.
Villager Lee Iafrate, Jack’s wife, sparkled in her petite part of the patient in the medical sketch reuniting Lewis and Clark for a CBS special. Lee is always eager and adept stepping into character roles. She is very dependable in supporting roles.
Elaine Jones had the best part in the comedy. She played the registered nurse exchanging barbs with Van Dyke’s Clark. Van Dyke auditioned several women for this part but it called for a black woman and none were auditioning. I was even called to audition for the part. He discovered Jones in the nearby Kroger and uncovered a diamond in the rough.
Because I had auditioned for the part I was quite familiar with the dialogue. Van Dyke once again varied from the script and saucy Jones got him back on track with loads of laughs. Her delivery was deliberately droll and delightful. I hope to see her on stage again. She was fun as was the entire production.
The Village’s Herm Dobscha played the part of the CBS Announcer. He was able to fill the hall with his mellifluous voice by audio tape. He was not present for the production. Herm can make a grocery list sound exciting with his dulcet tones. As an aside, I want to extend my sympathies to Herm, his brother passed away last week.
Dick Antoine was the voice of the director of the CBS special. No one can do exasperated like Antoine. He was right on point.
Founder of the RayLynn Theater, Tom Wilkins, played the CBS stage assistant. A role he was born to play. He is a constant fixture on the RayLynn stage, in front and behind the curtain.
Van Dyke was without a doubt the star of the show. Prior to the curtain opening a film montage saluting his illustrious career was shown on the theater’s side screens. It was fun to see how many I could identify. There were guest appearances on the Dick Van Dyke Show, the Judy Garland Show, funny out takes from Coach. There were movie clips featuring Van Dyke with John Wayne and other notable actors. The film clips settled the audience into their seats and got them ready for the main course. The curtain opened on a delightfully vintage set and the rest is history.
I left the theater feeling full of comedy. Toward the end of the evening Van Dyke brought the audience along with him when he forgot a line. It became an inside joke, almost as funny as the original Simon script. Van Dyke was Clark and he could do no wrong.
The Sunshine Boys will run through this weekend and next at the RayLynn Theater in Hot Springs.
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Great review...makes me want to go see the show! I'm glad there's still time.
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