Review: NEW YORK WATER Changes Hue as Often as Romantic Involvements Do

NEW YORK WATER, a comedy written by Sam Bobrick and directed by Howard Teichman, is being produced by Bill Froggatt and Howard Teichman for West Coast Jewish Theatre at the Pico Playhouse in West LA through December 17, 2017. The title refers to the quality of New York tap water for drinking: It's usually delicious, if you can get past the fact that rusty pipes sometimes impart to it an odd hue. The same applies to modern romantic involvements which start out great then change as you really get to know one another better or decide to travel in different directions.

The play centers on two single people living in New York City: Linda, a "professional" receptionist, portrayed by Bridget Flanery, and Albert, a CPA, portrayed by Ross Benjamin who you will no doubt recognize as the son of Richard Benjamin. In fact, he so closely resembles his father you might think you had stepped into a time machine!

The play begins as the non-stop talking Linda is getting ready to welcome Albert, her blind date met through a personal ad, to her apartment. After fusing around a bit, she places sharp knives under every cushion of the couch and chairs for protection. And for good measure, a crow bar is placed hanging on her standing lamp. After all, there are a lot of crazies out there, and with Linda as manic and paranoid as she is played by Flanery, it's easy to understand her fear of strangers.

Linda and Albert, both in their mid-thirties and excessively lonely, connect during moments of extreme humor that had the audience howling with laughter at their awkwardness from start to finish. And after discovering their mutual mistrust of everyone (Albert even skipped 12 blocks from the subway to get to her place, not trusting the safety of her neighborhood) makes them feel living in the city is holding them back, they almost immediately decide to marry and "get out of town" together to find themselves in a new town where people are nice, friendly, the pace is slower, and they will be able to finally fulfill their legacy.

As an aside, one of the funniest lines in the opening scene is when Linda, while defending the rusty color of the New York tap water she serves Albert, describing it as "having body." Albert fires back, "I wonder whose," setting the audience up for all the belly laughs to come. And there are many!

So where do they decide to go? As the set pieces are changed, videos designed by Kurtis Bedford are projected on a wall by Bill Froggatt, showing us their journey is taking them to, of all places, Davenport, Iowa, to look for the quiet life. Which of course, after 3 months they find to be way too quiet with no real job opportunities other than going to a lot of meetings where people just moan about their problems.

What we soon find out is that each of them has been having affairs in an attempt to validate themselves to further their stagnated careers in a town where everything seems to revolve around corn. Realizing they need a common enemy to complain about, the big city they decide to move to is Los Angeles, especially since it has all "we need and great Mexican food, nice bars, and liposuction." Of course, that comment met with roars of laughter to end Act 1.

Act 2 begins with their American odyssey taking them to Hollywood in the hopes of becoming movie moguls. While Linda's brazen attitude and constant yelling helps her to ascend to dizzying heights, Albert remains steeped in mediocrity, working as a gardener for the rich and famous. She now dresses like a star in the finest gowns while he appears to always be returning from fishing off the Santa Monica Pier. But if things don't work out for them in Hollywood, where will they go next - and with whom? It seems their madcap journey for love is filled with delusions of grandeur that may just tear them apart, but I won't give any more of the play away.

I must tell you that I did find Ms. Flanery's constant screaming of her lines very irritating, almost making me not want to listen to her going on and on at such a loud decibel. I do understand her character Linda is manic and as such, rambles on and on, but it would serve the play well for director Teichman to vary her vocal quality a bit so that when she really does need to scream, it has more punch. Benjamin accomplishes greatness, brilliantly presenting his nebbish of a character to a tee with his pauses and/or double takes making each of his hysterical one-liners timed perfectly to generate the laughter it deserves.

So when you are ready for two hours of constant belly laughs, especially at the ridiculous nature of modern, ever-changing relationships, head on over to the Pico Playhouse at 10508 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles 90064 through December 17 on Fri/Sat at 8pm, Sun at 3pm and enjoy Bobrick's brilliantly funny NEW YORK WATER. Tickets are $40 and may be purchased by calling 323-821-2449 or online at www.wcjt.tix.com.

Photo credit: Michael Lamont

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