The Milwaukee Post

By JULIE MCHALE Post Theater Critic MILWAUKEE — The Marx Brothers are among those legends that will never die. Of the four brothers — Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo — Groucho is the most famous because he went on to be a celebrity long after his brothers dropped out of the entertainment scene. Among his many accom- plishments was his TV show "You Bet Your Life," which amused people for 11 years, and his hit plays "Animal Crackers" and "The Cocoanuts." Frank Ferrante, who has tallied more than 2,500 per- for mances in 400 cities, reprises Groucho's comedic style in "An Evening with Groucho" at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's Stackner Cabaret. Ferrante's physical resemblance to the comedic star is striking once he paints on the infamous mustache and characteris- tic bushy eyebrows. He also captures some of Groucho's gestures as he cavorts about the stage and tosses his one- liners and some of his most memorable songs at the audience. His humor consists of many puns and self-depre- cations. He also frequently blames the audience when they don't laugh enough, which gets a bit insulting after a while. He's at his best when he engages directly with his guests and spontaneously enjoys their interactions with him. Some of his most success- ful movies, such as "Duck Soup," "Night at the Opera," "A Day at the Races," "Horse Feathers" and "Monkey Business," are alluded to. He also refers to his fondness for W.C. Fields, W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, and Charlie Chaplin, some of the artists he admired. Although Groucho never went beyond the sixth grade, he was a voracious reader, and had a standing relationship with a very diverse group of people, including rock star Alice Cooper and poets Carl Sandburg and T.S. Eliot. Despite his slapstick style, he was quite a well-round- ed, sophisticated man, more complicated than his public image might sug- gest. He was the middle child of five boys, and he often said that his two older brothers, Chico and Harpo, were more charming and his younger ones, Zeppo and Gummo, cuter, so he made his mark with his quick and outrageous wit. He outlived them all, dying of pneumonia at 87. This work was inspired by an earlier one written by Groucho's son Arthur — "Groucho, a Life in Revue" — recently produced by Next Act Theatre. That work included Harpo and Chico and an actor who rep- resented several of the sig- nificant women in his life. I actually preferred that work that preceded this one because it was a fuller rep- resentation of his life as well as his work. The set design by Libby Schultz and the overall direction by Dreya Weber were stellar, and accompa- nist Gerald Sternbach con- tributed significantly with his music and his humor. For loyal Groucho fans, this is a perfect chance to revisit this comedic star and experience the unique flavor of his humor. Ferrante has certainly cap- tured it. 14 • Milwaukee County Post • April 7, 2017 ENTERTAINMENT "An Evening With Groucho" features veteran Groucho performer Frank Ferrante. Wearing a pith helmet, Ferrante chomps on the comedian's trademark cigar and gyrates. Michael Doucett Veteran Marx brother actor Frank Ferrante engages, cavorts and entertains MILWAUKEE — Shakespeare in the Park, Milwaukee's free outdoor summer theater, is moving to the Peck Pavilion at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. This July, Shakespeare in the Park is partnering with the Marcus Center to bring 12 performances of Shakespeare's comic mas- terpiece "Much Ado About Nothing" downtown. The outdoor Peck Pavilion, at Kilbourn Avenue and North Water Street, provides valu- able infrastructure, with backstage and performance spaces, state-of-the-art light- ing and sound systems, and safe, comfortable seating for the audience, according to Shakespeare in the Park. Shakespeare in the Park is going into its eighth sea- son, having performed at the Selig-Joseph-Folz Amphitheater through partnership with COA Youth & Family Centers, and at Alverno College through a partnership with the school, and both remain involved. Alverno is host- ing this season's auditions and rehearsals, and COA is supporting Shakespeare in the Park's community out- reach. Ron Scot Fry, artistic director and co-founder of Shakespeare in the Park, said in a release, "Before the move to the Peck Pavilion, we built from the ground up each season, cre- ating performance and backstage space from scratch, bringing in all of our lighting and sound sys- tems. We spent resources on making the audience safe and comfortable. Our part- ners, both COA and Alverno, were extraordi- nary in their support to overcome those challenges. But with the infrastructure at the Peck, we can focus our resources more on the play itself." The troupe fits into the Marcus Center's plans to host live theater in the Peck Pavilion. "As part of our contin- ued evolution of the LIVE @ Peck Pavilion perform- ance calendar, the new part- nership with Optimist Theatre allows us to broad- en our impact on the entire community," Paul Mathews, president and CEO of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, said in a statement. "With the generous support of The Molitor Charitable Trust, Shakespeare in the Park helps us offer a truly comprehensive eight-week schedule of music, theater, film and dance." Shakespeare in the Park's mission is to be a gateway theater, accessible to people from all back- grounds and walks of life. Shakespeare in the Park Executive Director Susan Fry said, "This move to Peck represents a quantum leap forward in our ability to connect with inner-city community organizations." The summer, Shakespeare in the Park will produce William Shakespeare's beloved com- edy "Much Ado About Nothing" on three week- ends from July 6 through July 22. Attendance is free to the public based on a first- come, first-seated basis, and a number of special group days are already in the works. Details about going to the show are available at FreeShakespeareInThePark. org. A night at the Stackner with 'Groucho' "An Evening with Groucho" The one-man show at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's Stackner Cabaret, 108 E. Wells St., Milwaukee, runs through May 28. Call 414-224-9490 or visit MilwaukeeRep.com. At a glance Shakespeare in the Park moves downtown

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