Milda Dacys (l.), Mouchette van Helsdingen, Lloyd Pedersen, Herb Hall (Photo by Gabe Tejejada-Benitez)
Reviewed by Taylor Kass
Theatre 40
Through August 24
RECOMMENDED
Theatre 40’s production of A Jukebox for the Algonquin, directed by Larry Eisenberg and anchored by an adept cast, is the West Coast premiere of Paul Stroili’s new comedy.
For the long-term residents of Placid Pines senior living center, “it’s the small things that keep you from the slide into crazy town.” Whether it’s a beloved book of poetry, a daily orange juice, or a song from their younger years, residents find meaning and connection in these simple pleasures. But for spirited music aficionado Johnny (Herb Hall), sometimes the little things aren’t enough. He dreams of raising the funds to buy a proper jukebox for the rec room where he and his friends gather. So when new neighbor Peg (Mouchette Van Helsdingen) discovers a certain plant with high resale value in her garden, this scrappy group of seniors hatch a daring plan
With its wacky characters and hilarious jokes, A Jukebox for the Algonquin is often laugh-out-loud funny. Although the second act veers into melodrama, with a tear-jerking twist that feels heavy-handed, the cast approaches their characters with so much heart that their performances remain grounded and believable throughout. In particular, Lloyd Pedersen as poetry-loving and wise-cracking Dennis is in turns heartbreakingly vulnerable and raucously funny – with a beautiful vocal duet with Van Helsdingen as the cherry on top. Tricia Cruz as facility director Josaphina also delivers a memorable monologue about the behind-the-scenes emotional toll of caring for seniors. But even greater than any one performance is the sense of chemistry and camaraderie between characters.
Minor spoiler ahead: the choice may have been dramaturgical, directorial or scenic, but unfortunately (and in my opinion, unforgivably) the audience never gets to actually see the titular jukebox. After such a long journey filled with emotional twists and turns, it’s disappointing to fall short of the prize at the finish line. But maybe that’s a signal of the success of A Jukebox for the Algonquin — that we find ourselves so invested in the procurement of a jukebox for a senior center’s rec room.
Theatre Forty, The Mary Levin Cutler Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Dr., Beverly Hills. Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru Aug. 24. https://theatre40.org/product/a-jukebox-for-the-algonquin/ . Running time: 2 hours including one 15-minute intermission.
