Don’t Leave It All to Your Children

Reviewed by Mayank Keshaviah

One of the first maxims of show business is to know your audience. And while this Borscht Belt musical revue penned by Saul Ilson appeals to a demographic at the older end of the age spectrum, it is similar to many of the action-packed blockbusters put out by Hollywood these days: It has found its niche and it has been commercially successful. The show first premiered as Senior Class in Palm Springs in 1996 and has been rewritten (and re-titled) many times, playing Off-Broadway in 2009. It’s now at the Whitefire Theatre.

The local landing spot seems apropos as the Whitefire has a history of producing works that hark back to the Yiddish theater. Ilson himself has been influenced by that tradition, and he uses it unsparingly in this piece, which is less a story-driven musical and more a series of comic vignettes about growing old and embracing one’s golden years. There’s a determinedly “hey folks, howya doing” vibe to the show, and each of the songs has a break during which the performers speak as though to themselves, or to the audience directly. Combine that with Jonathan Dinerstein’s bouncy piano accompaniment and the somewhat shtick-y choreography, and you’re transported back to vaudeville, though often with less vivacity than is needed to pull off such an entertainment.

Aside from the question of atmospheric energy, the problem is that Ilson is appealing to a demographic of Baby Boomers who came of age in the 1960s, when vaudeville was already passé. His writing credits on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and numerous other comedy programs and specials have won him accolades, but those ‘60s-style jokes feel hackneyed in the 21^st century, though they may hold nostalgic appeal for the Boomer demographic, which comprised the vast majority of the show’s audience. The songs are pleasant enough, the most memorable being the sentimental ballad “I Love You/Looking Back,” but their rhyme schemes are often simplistic and the lyrics and themes predictable. Time is a cruel mistress. (On the night I attended, Ilson, as performer, was filling in as an understudy.)

The other cast members — Barbara Minkus, Kit Smythe, and John Shull — embrace the material with enthusiasm, but because so many of Ilson’s jokes are Hallmark card-style quips about ageing, the performances have limited appeal. Shull, resembling a younger and more cheerful Robert Duvall, has the strongest stage presence and brings the most physicality to his role. Minkus infuses the aforementioned ballad with sweetness, and her exploitation of an over-the-top costume gag in “Think Plastic,” a number riffing on cosmetic surgery, is one of the funnier numbers in the show. The tall, redhead Smythe brings a spunky energy in the spirit of the show’s title.

While that title refers to both financial advice for the older set and encouragement to go out and live life to the fullest, theatergoers might be better doing just that, and leaving this show to their grandparents.

The Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; Sun., 2 p.m. (Mother’s Day special May 11, all tickets $20, reduced from $34); thru June 29. (800) 838-3006, www.brownpapertickets.com/event/526560