REVIEW: Filthy Rich Premieres at Chaffin's Barn

There's a whole lotta funny to be found in Nate Eppler's Filthy Rich, a riotously outrageous Valentine to all things theatrical, that debuted at Chaffin's Barn, Nashville's iconic dinner theatre, Tuesday night. It's a comedic tour de force that allows some very talented thespians a chance to chew the scenery, skewer some sacred cows and pay tribute to a whole slew of theatrical offerings past, present and future.

Eppler's richly textured script might best be described as a send-up of Anastasia meets Grey Gardens, with some Sleeping Beauty, Annie, You Can't Take it With You and The Grifters (plus an affectionate nod to Fiddler on the Roof) thrown in for good measure, all presented in a farcical manner that works on every level. Kudos to director David Compton for keeping things moving at a good clip and coaxing some stellar performances from his cast of gifted players.

Eppler's script tells the outlandish tale of Anna Roman and her daughter, Annie (the Big Edie and Little Edie of Filthy Rich), and a pair of inept grifters named Frederick and Larry who turn up at their dilapidated Hamptons estate in search of a fortune and instead find two wacky women hiding out from the Bolsheviks and some "chizz-eating rats."

Any explanation of the plot renders it rather pedestrian; essentially, it's about a mother (who may or may not be the former grand duchess of all the Russias, Anastasia Romanov), who's trying to marry off her ditsy daughter to the highest bidder--enter the two con-artists who are attempting to pull the con of their careers by getting the family's fortune. It's a farce, of course, so it follows a typically farcical formula: hilarity ensues, followed by hijinks and histrionics.

Eppler's unerring ear for dialogue results in anything but the typical. The script is full of lines that will leave you laughing out loud and there are enough twists and turns on the way to the play's denouement that you will find some delightful surprises along the way. And when voiced by Compton's crackerjack cast of exceptional actors, you can't help but love this show!

Dietz Osborne is slickly urbane as the very British Frederick, who's clearly the brains behind the dastardly duo of grifters. His droll delivery of even the most mundane of lines is sure to elicit his share of guffaws and Osborne's assured performance is impressive.

Layne Sasser's larger than life portrayal of Anna/Anastasia skirts the cartoonish and buffoonish; in lesser hands, this role would be ridiculously overblown. But Sasser is so skilled a comedian that she insteads creates a wonderfully outsized characterization that is genuinely hilarious while somehow remaining hilariously genuine.

As the ethereal daughter Anna (it is in this character where the influence of Grey Gardens is most keenly felt), Erin Parker is sweetly crazy and over-the-top. It's almost like she's walking a high wire in her performance, but like Sasser she very effectively scales comedic heights while imbuing her character with pathos and heart. Her monologue about her Annie audition is priceless (curse you, Charles Strouse!).

But truth be told, it's the playwright himself who gives the evening's most fully realized comic performance. Eppler's Larry is completely moronic, but in some skewed way is the most common-sensical of the quartet. Eppler clearly knows the show like the back of his hand, so that may explain some of his confidence in giving such a no-holds-barred performance. All four actors show no fear, obviously enjoying the experience of playing with one another and secure in knowing that each of them is at the top of his or her game.

The set, designed by Compton and Johnny Peppers, is sufficiently cluttered and strewn with the minutiae of the mother-and-daughter's lives, providing the perfect backdrop for the onstage action. But it's Billy Ditty's colorfully witty and daft costume designs that deserve special praise. From Annie's deflated beachball worn as a turban to Anna's vodka-drinking fur hat, Ditty's wickedly on-target, yet somehow askew, designer's eye is perfectly trained on these eccentric characters.

 

Filthy Rich. By Nate Eppler. Directed by David Compton. Produced by John and Janie Chaffin. At Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, 8204 Highway 100, Nashville. Through October 10. For reservations, call (615) 646-9977. For details, visit the website at www.dinnertheater.com.

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