Theater Review: The Royal Family

Life On and Off Stage Much the Same
for this Family of the Theater
By Lauren Yarger
The family portrayed in George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber’s The Royal Family on Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club is loosely based on the Barrymore theater dynasty, but this sweet little glimpse into the lives of the Cavendish clan does more than explore the oddities of being part of theatrical family; it’s a reminder that blood is thicker than water and that family ties anchor us to what is important.

In a dramatic fashion (after all, for this brood, is there any other?) Gwen (Kelli Barrett) announces that she is through with the theater and will marry and be a “regular person.” This is welcome news for her beau Perry Stewart (Freddy Arseneault), who doesn’t want to be a supporting player to Gwen’s star, but matriarch Fanny (Rosemary Harris), takes it in stride, believing that when half hour comes, her granddaughter won’t be able to resist the call to the stage. Gwen has more luck with linking with a "non theatrical" than does her mother, Julie (a very funny Jan Maxwell), who also takes a stab at giving up the theater for her boyfriend Gilbert Marshall (Larry Pine) in a terrifically funny soliloquy delivered in the family’s sumptuous two-story New York apartment (John Lee Beatty, scenic design).

Doug Hughes directs the antics and a fine ensemble cast (I saw Anthony Newfeld,an able understudy for Tony Roberts in the part of the family’s manager Oscar Wolfe. The play is charming, if a little dated and a little too long, clocking in at 2 hours and 40 minutes, but it is nice to see a zany family with flaws where the members actually care about each other.

Catherine Zuber’s elegant costumes, dressing the family members in various hues of royal purple, are exquisite.

The Royal Family was just extended at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W. 47th Street through Dec.13. For tickets, visit http://www.telecharge.com/ or call (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250.

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