Inheriting a distant uncle’s millions and an invitation to go on the vacation of a lifetime sounds like a dream come true to shoe salesman Harry Witherspoon. However, to seal the deal, he must cart his uncle’s lifeless corpse through Monte Carlo on a series of adventures while dodging some dubious characters who are in hot pursuit of the fortune.
So begins the outlandish plot of Florida Repertory Theatre’s “Lucky Stiff” production, an uproariously funny musical comedy with book and lyrics written by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty.
Jason Parrish, associate artistic director at Florida Rep and director of “Lucky Stiff,” has been with Florida Rep for the past 20 years.
“It’s a farce, and it’s a musical. It’s ridiculous. It’s theatrical. It’s one of those shows that will have you, I hope, laughing in the aisles,” Parrish said. “It’s kind of hard to explain the plot. You find two people at the center of the story. Along the way, they meet a whole cast of colorful characters. Their story is sort of like Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy—adversarial at first. Then they realize, ‘Oh, I kind of like you,’ so it’s a love story with all that insanity going on around it.”
Parrish is delighted to work on this production with a talented cast of professionals in the theater industry, including cast and crew members he has worked with in the past and new faces.
“The gentleman who’s choreographing the show, Kyle Brand, we’ve collaborated together. This is now our third time,” Parrish said. “He’s just really wonderful and such a help in trying to tell the story physically and also just wanting to make it be as impactful as it can. My longtime best friend is playing Rita, the mob wife. It’s also like the concentric circles of people you love to work with. There are a lot of familiar faces in here as well as a bunch of really wonderful newcomers.”
Actress Kim Morgan Dean returns to Florida Rep to portray Rita La Porta in the production. Her character fits every stereotype of a former showgirl from New Jersey who is married to a casino manager.
“She’s sort of the inciting incident of this whole musical,” said Morgan Dean. “She’s got the big hair and the nails and the animal print clothing and the big heels, and, of course, the accent, her vanity and her search for love and money in all the wrong places. It’s sort of the foil to our very proper British leading man.
“The circumstances just continue to get wilder and wilder as the plot progresses. We still have to stay in control of the story. If we get up there and we’re manic, it’s hard for the audience to follow the story. We have to sort of surrender part of ourselves to it as the character but also remember we are in service to this audience, and so we need to make the story as clear as possible and not let ourselves get swept up in the typhoon,” Morgan Dean said.
Costume designer Stefanie Genda has dissected every nuance imaginable to craft the costumes in the play, Morgan Dean added.
“She’s just unbelievable,” said Morgan Dean. “I think that part of her design was, ‘How many animal prints can I get you in?’ Then we thought about the details of what would this woman’s wedding ring look like. This guy has all this money. He’s a casino manager, so what would her wedding ring look like? How gaudy can we make the wedding ring? And there’s a scene where we’re all traveling from Monte Carlo. So, what would her luggage look like? So, there’s an animal print suitcase — a hot pink suitcase. Of course, that is the luggage that this woman would have. It’s so funny because it is fundamentally who this woman is. Everything comes from this place of a real person. This kind of woman would, of course, want to wear clothes that would match her luggage.”
The ridiculous plot and over-the-top characterizations lend themselves to creative set and costume designs. As a result, the production is full of sight gags, theatrical tricks and quick costume changes.
Parrish explained, “The set looks like a British music hall and a casino had a love child all over the stage. It’s like a circus funhouse. The perspective is off, the doorways are off-skewed, and we’re all over the place, so you can’t have anything that sets you in a location. There’s some scenery that comes in and out, but it all has a jaunty perspective to it. Nothing is realistic. When we need to hide behind a palm tree, we just come through a door holding a palm tree rather than making the French Riviera.
When they go gambling, instead of standing around a roulette table, there’s a woman dressed as a roulette wheel who’s wearing a can-can dress that has roulette numbers on it, dancing. We’re going to ask you to come along on this theatrical journey with us. They made a movie of it, and in my opinion, the movie—it was in 2014—didn’t really translate because that theatricality didn’t come across the screen. When you’re hyper-realistic for a film, dragging a corpse around Monte Carlo is somehow ghoulish. On stage, it’s a living person sitting still. There’s a sort of fun in that.”
Proper British leading man Harry Witherspoon is portrayed by actor Sam Sherwood in the Florida Rep production. Poor Harry is living a bit of a boring existence when the play begins. As Harry’s life suddenly becomes very interesting, laughter follows.
“He’s kind of living this dreary life,” Sherwood said. “He knows it’s dreary, but he doesn’t really have the courage to do anything about it. The character doesn’t know he’s in a farce. My aim is to really play to the truth of the situation. I think Harry is focused on the money, and then all these experiences that his uncle set up for him end up being the thing that really changes his life for the better because it’s what drew him out of his sad, old, dreary life. It’s the adventure and the people that he met and stepping outside his comfort zone that actually gave him the real gift more than the money could have.”
Actress Hannah McGinley LeMasters plays Annabel Glick, a doggedly determined representative of the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn, the organization that will inherit Harry’s uncle’s millions if he doesn’t comply with the stipulations in his will.
“She is fighting for the same money that Harry, the hero of this show, is fighting to attain, except he’s trying to get it for himself, and she’s trying to get it to save the Universal Dog Home, which is the charity she works for. A lot of the time, I am playing more of the serious one. To not laugh at everyone being absolutely hilarious around me is certainly a challenge,” said McGinley LeMasters.
She appreciates the detailed set pieces that help accentuate the silliness of the plot and the outrageousness of the characters.
“One of the one of my favorite personal things is that there are these little spiral staircases. There are two of them on stage. I am only 5’ 4’, so I can easily run up it. We’ve got some really tall boys who have to either limbo or duck under them, and that creates a whole lot of serious comedy in and of itself,” she laughed. “I think the cast itself is so much fun. There is not a weak link in this cast. Everybody’s doing such a good job. We really are just having a fantastic time with each other, and it’s rare to have a cast that everybody gets along so well.”
Actor Patrick Richwood portrays Vinnie DiRuzzio, an optometrist who also happens to be Rita’s brother. When Rita decides to track down Harry and snatch the millions, she cajoles Vinnie into helping her with hysterical consequences. Audiences may recognize actor Richwood from one of his many film projects, which include blockbusters such as “Overboard,” “Beaches,” “Pretty Woman,” “The Princess Diaries” and “Armageddon.”
“I’ve been, um, really, really fortunate to have this interesting career—lots of different types of roles, lots of different media. I’ve done a lot of television. My wheelhouse is that kind of character that you start out sort of laughing at—thinking they’re funny and funny to laugh at. By the end, you want to be them. They’re the ones you’re sympathizing with. Sort of the Edith Bunker characters or Stan Laurel or Woody from ‘Cheers.’ The one that you sort of laugh at them because maybe they don’t seem as bright or as intelligent or something, and by the end, they’re the ones that are saving the day. That’s the kind of role that I seem to gravitate towards the most,” said Richwood.
In reference to his extensive resume, Richwood explained, “A lot of times, actors sort of get caught up in the rules of the business—like, don’t give your hopes up. That doesn’t happen. You can’t count on that or this, and it’s not fair. It’s a tough business. And, of course, it isn’t fair. It’s entirely subjective. It isn’t based on any logic, but that’s the job description, and you take it or leave it. However, I’ve broken it somehow. It reminds me. Don’t get caught up in what everybody says is supposed to happen or not happen. Don’t just believe that’s the paradigm.”
Richwood has been enjoying the camaraderie of the tight-knit cast of “Lucky Stiff.” The inherently funny moments feed his love of comedy.
“I’m working with Kim Morgan (Dean), and I haven’t ever worked with anybody funnier than her. I worked with some funny, funny, funny, funny people. She is so naturally funny. She plays my sister, and she’s just this arrogant character. She’s tied up with the mob, and she’s this awful Atlantic City Italian, and I’m her brother. She’s always getting me into trouble. It’s just hilarious. And she’s so funny. All she has to do is open her mouth. I love that. I mean, that’s just for me, that’s heaven. We’re constantly cracking each other up,” he described.
Audiences looking for a wildly funny escape full of laughter and some great music should plan to see “Lucky Stiff” at the Florida Rep. ¦
In the KNOW
“Lucky Stiff”
· When: Now through Jan. 26 (performances are on Tuesdays through Sundays)
· Where: Florida Repertory Theatre, at the historic Arcade Theatre, 2267 First Street, Fort Myers
· Tickets: Start at $45
· Info: (239) 332-4488 or www.floridarep.org