BWW Reviews: Timely BIRDS OF A FEATHER at Stageworks

"We're penguins--everything is black and white."

Timing is everything. In 1979, when the country was up in arms over the Three Mile Island meltdown, The China Syndrome was released at the exact same time, as if the filmmakers knew it was going to happen. The same thing occurred in 1987, after Wall Street's Black Monday, when Oliver Stone's Wall Street hit the cinemas soon after. And now, at the same time that marriage equality is in the news in the state of Florida, BIRDS OF A FEATHER opens at Stageworks. (Perhaps Karla Hartley should be renamed Nostradamus; she and the board picked this specific show long before the marriage equity fight filled the newspaper headlines. In fact, the first rehearsal occurred the day that a federal judge ruled that the Sunshine State's gay marriage ban was unconstitutional.)

Marc Acito's BIRDS OF A FEATHER is based on true events ("except birds can't talk"), as is mentioned more than once in the show. It centers around two same-gendered penguins who become famous for raising their own baby, all covered in the shockingly controversial book (shocking that it's controversial at all), And Tango Makes Three. Set in New York's Central Park Zoo, the penguin at the center of the action, Roy, is openly gay, but his partner, Silo, says that he doesn't think people should be labeled gay or straight. He takes up the Gore Vidal argument that there is no such thing as a homosexual or a heterosexual; there are only homosexual acts or heterosexual acts. "I love you," Silo tells Roy, "not your gender." With their beloved daughter, Tango, they become the most famous penguins in the world. "We're here! We're queer! We live in a zoo!" they proclaim.

At the same time, two red-tailed hawks (played by the same actors who portray the penguins), Pale Male and Lola, are causing a stir when their nest is removed from the ledge of a 5th Avenue co-op building. Both the penguins and the hawks become real-life media celebrities.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER is an entertaining romp, very cute, and at first it seems like nothing more than an avian version of "Laugh-In" ("Squawk-In"?). Some scenes work with true warmth and meaning, and some don't; there is some repetition in the script and some jokes don't connect, but the show is never boring. Best of all, underneath the sweetness and humor lies a deep, heart-warming view of love and marriage, one that I hope opens a few eyes and changes a few hardened hearts.

The play has over two dozen characters, all portrayed by four actors (imagine an ornithological Irma Vep). The two fine-feathered leads, Scott Daniel and Robert Richards, are quick-change masters and simply wonderful. They marvelously showcase their versatility, changing at the snap of a finger into so many different characters. It's a testament to these two talented actors that we never lose sight of who's who at what specific time.

Daniel uses his body like so few actors, gyrating and thrusting his hips at one second and lovingly cradling an egg (or a rock) the next. He even gets to show off his stirring vocal chops in a couple of key moments (singing snippets from Wicked and Gypsy). Daniel even succeeds in the difficult art of a Minnie Riperton impression. And he has the bird-like head movement of the Pale Male hawk down pat.

Daniel even gets to play an anti-gay librarian, who dares to call And Tango Makes Three pornographic; here he looks like the strange combination of football coach Jimmy Johnson, pop artist Andy Warhol and television icon Bea Arthur.

Richards as Silo is such powerful presence, commanding the stage with his statuesque physique. Those who have seen his dynamic, dramatic turns in Stageworks' productions of A Few Good Men and Of Mice and Men will be so happy to see this side of him--with snap comedic timing, he talks with a Jamaican accent or a Southern drawl in the blink of an eye.

The humans are well played by Johnny Garde and Molly Leigh Healy (as Paula Zahn....yes, that Paula Zahn). But good as they are, the show belongs to Daniel and Richards.

Scott Cooper's divided set (the artificial arctic lair of the zoo where the penguins reside and the ledge where the hawks have nested) is fine if unremarkable, but Frank Chavez's costumes are brilliantly clever and simple. The penguins are donned in orange shoes, white trousers and turtle-necks, and black capes and caps. Best of all are the hawks, with Pale Male donning aviator glasses, looking like Loon from the comic strip "Shoe." It's amazing how a simple change of headwear immediately changes the character--but you have to have versatile performers like Daniel and Richards to pull it off.

The fast-paced show is beautifully staged by director Karla Hartley, and Mike Woods' lighting design works well (I especially like the lightning-like flashbulb effects). However, the videos sometimes seem like an intrusion (an animated ship hitting an iceberg, for instance, is too quick and seems to come out of nowhere). Many of the videos seem random rather than fully integrated in the show, though the "CNN" spots were appropriate. (I also enjoyed the pre-show music, including the Davy Jones version of "Personal Penguin.")

To keep all the names in order and to celebrate that the cast members portray so many different characters, I wish that the program included each of the various character's names, and not the generic "Man 1," "Man 2," and so on.

Still, the show is incredibly sweet, and its ending will warm your heart.

As light as much of BIRDS OF A FEATHER is, it's actually an important play, especially these days, and especially in the state of Florida. The problem is, everyone who will be flocking to see the show more than likely doesn't have an issue with marriage equality. These penguins are preaching to the choir. My hope is that some people on the opposite side of this civil rights fight--Pam Bondi, for example--can see a show like this and maybe change their hearts and minds. Maybe it will be like Dr. Seuss's Who's when they sing that classic song "Welcome Christmas" and the Grinch's heart grows and grows. Maybe a show like this will help some modern-day Grinch finally realize the truth as warmly proclaimed in BIRDS OF A FEATHER: that it doesn't matter who you love...it matters that you love.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER plays at Stageworks until the day after Valentine's Day (February 15th). For tickets, please call (813) 374-2416.

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