Review: FUNNY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE at Georgetown Palace Theatre's Playhouse Stage

Set against a full moon and reminiscent of variety shows, Jones, Hope and Wooten’s FUNNY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE mixes comedy, folly, nearly absurd situations, a hint of slapstick, and a lot of heart in four wildly hilarious situations where “that four-letter word L-O-V-E” is at stake. 

From June 21 – July 21, Georgetown Palace Theatre is performing FUNNY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE, on their Playhouse Stage. Directed by Lynn Beaver, this production embraces every bit of silliness and absurdity this script has to offer, and presents a charming night of love and laughter in four clever vignettes. 

Ranging widely in location, each actor dons multiple personas as the audience sees each story unfold. After a quick romance between some newscasters, first up is a used-car salesman Dallas, Texas, who is courting more than he thought. Next is a close-knit group of mature lady friends from Georgia who crash one of their bestie’s honeymoon. Then, in a rooftop cafe in London, two strangers begin a tentative connection, interrupted by an American tourist and an old waitress who maybe plays(?) the sousaphone. Lastly, a man in Manhattan is preparing to propose and chaos breaks loose, resulting in a mostly-unexpected result.

The ensemble of FUNNY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE works extremely well together in crafting comedy that delights. This is especially true in the scene titled “A Hono-lulu of a Honeymoon” where Christina Little-Manley (Sugar Lee) is delightful as a middle-aged bride, wonderfully portraying concern for her fledgling marriage and spouse against exasperation at her gaggle of friends. And speaking of this group of friends, Kim Rubin, Sandy D’Amato, Lisa Shelton, and Mikayla Hinds (Nita, Carlene, Mavis, Crystal, respectively) are a riot. They expertly navigate the quick dialogue, middle-aged-ladies party style, and comedic pieces (privacy screen! Ha ha!) of the scene, creating a wonderful, almost familial atmosphere for the audience. 

Another outstanding moment is with Lisa Shelton as Lottie, an aged and slightly grumpy waitress in the scene called “A Little Brit of Romance”. Her command of witty language, as well as her expertise at exaggerated physical presence, are a highlight of the night. You will never see a sousaphone enter any space again in the same way. Erik Powers (Alistair) is hilarious as the very put-out object of unwanted attention, and Kim Rubin (Gwendolyn) and Christina Little-Manley (Brandy) balance the entertaining dichotomy of outrageous behavior and subdued humor handily.

The cast, all of whom portrayed 2-4 characters each, is rounded out by Mike Rahan (Rick, Bobby Dwayne, Stan) and Joe Moe (Ferlin, Jake), both of whom took center as pandemonium takes place in the scene “Upper West Side Story”. 

This production was performed on a black box stage with a gorgeous stage design by  Morgan Taylor Meyers & Nick Wigg. Every inch of the performance space is carefully employed to set each of these entirely different scenarios, using a rotating back wall with platforms to set furniture and other elements, pull-down hinged wooden paintings, a moon hung on a wall, and a part of the audience space as a high rise. Aaren Horak’s sound design is wonderful, using a wide variety of well-known, feel-good love songs to maintain mood, and Jennifer Rose Davis’s costuming is spot on.

There are a lot of changing sets, moving pieces, and other stagecraft required for this show. Maria Kruger, Mel Spelman, and their stage crew deserve a huge shout-out for a job well done.

Georgetown Palace Theatre’s performance of FUNNY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE is a great night out for everyone. It is family-friendly, offers a light-hearted evening of love stories, and will send you home with a smile. 

FUNNY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE

by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten

Georgetown Palace Theatre, Playhouse Stage 

June 21 – July 21, 2024, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2:00 pm 

Running Time: 1 hour 45 minutes with one 10-minute intermission

Tickets: $18-35 https://www.georgetownpalace.com/buy-tickets/

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