Review: The Kid from Brooklyn
by Don Grigware

As seen in the new musical The Kid from Brooklyn, now in its second extension on the mainstage of the El Portal Theatre in NoHo through February 24, the veritable comic genius Danny Kaye defied labels. He did not tell jokes like most comedians of his generation, but enchanted audiences with his own incomparable brand of physical comedy. How sad that younger generations have been unaware of his brilliance – until now. Thanks to a stellar creative team, Kaye’s name is assured immortality.

With book by Mark Childers and Peter Loewy, also providing slick direction, and the music made famous by Kaye in his endearing movies, The Kid from Brooklyn is exceedingly high on entertainment. Loewy’s fluid staging and brisk pace are partly responsible, but it is the supertalented Brian Childers who provides the fuel. His physicality and charm with an audience are strikingly like those of the real Danny Kaye. When he auditions for Max Liebman with “Anatole of Paris”, or performs “Tchaikovsky” or “Minnie the Moocher”, his effervescence in gesture and incredible vocal precision with tongue twisting verses places his performance at the peak of greatness. What an amazing star turn!  Equal in stature is Karin Leone, playing Kaye’s wife Sylvia Fine, whose career manipulation pushed him to the brink of collapse. Leone is a dynamic actress with a terrific singing voice. A cross between Tyne Daly and Ethel Merman, she can belt out a song to the third row of the balcony, and still deliver a ballad with just the right proportion of tenderness. Completing the cast are two actors playing a plethora of characters. Christina Purcell superbly takes on every female from studio secretaries to Gertrude Lawrence, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Eve Arden and even Kaye’s daughter Dinah. Joshua Finkel skillfully acts all the men, ranging from Kaye’s press agent to Cole Porter, Larry Olivier, Moss Hart and Alfred Drake. Both Purcell and Finkel make a staggering number of quick changes – and Purcell incredibly dons new wigs and costumes within seconds.

Despite my enthusiasm for the evening, I feel that some revisions are in order.  First of all, Kid comes off as a small scale show on a big stage.  With no offense to the brilliant work of Purcell and Finkel, why not cast more actors in these various roles to better fill the space - and why not flesh out the characters? With the exception of Eve Arden, most of the people play like cartoons, with an over-the-top look and feel that does not jive with the realistic portrayals of Kaye and Fine. It’s not the fault of the actors, but in the writing. In Act II, which becomes rather heavy with Kaye’s breakdown and separation from Fine, Kaye’s ties to his parents, especially his mother, become of vital importance, but we never get the opportunity to learn anything about them in the beginning. Perhaps adding one early family scene would give the audience a clearer understanding of how Kaye’s complex personality evolved. If we knew that Mrs. Kaminsky was as domineering as Sylvia Fine, for example, we could more easily appreciate how the child in Kaye impeded his efforts at fatherhood.

Alas, Kid has more pluses than minuses, and many people are over the moon with it as is. They get to relish the memory of icon Danny Kaye and at the same time bask in the entertaining presence of the show’s ebullient star Brian Childers. To quote the opening and closing lyrics of The Kid from Brooklyn: “Life Could Not Better Be”.

4 out of 5 stars