Quick Hit Theater Review: Cactus Flower

Maxwell Caulfield, Jenni Barber, Lois Robbins and Anthony Reimer. Photo: Carol Rosegg

Cactus Flower Off-Broadway

Through April 24 at the Westside Theatre, 407 West 43rd St., NYC

Writer: Abe Barrows, based on a play by Barillet and Gredy Director: Michael Bush Summary: Dentist Julian Winston (Maxwell Caufield) pretends he's married so that his girlfriend, Toni (Jenni Barber), won't expect commitment. When she almost takes her life because she can't have Julian, writer-neighbor Igor (Jeremy Borg) saves her and the act forces Julian into action. He'll divorce his wife, he tells Toni. There's just one problem. Toni wants to meet her to make sure there are no hard feelings. Julian turns to his devoted nurse Stephanie (Lois Robbins), who secretly has feelings for the dentist herself, to pose as his wife. As the farce continues, Julian enlists his pal Harvey (Anthony Reimer) to pretend to be his "wife's" new love interest. Meanwhile, patient Senor Sanchez (John Herrara) courts Stephanie, Harvey's girlfriend (Emily Walton) is confused (and we can't blame her) and vampy Mrs. Durant (Robin Skye) flashes her pearly whites at the dentist in the hope that something besides a patient-doctor relationship might develop between them. Highlights: • Tunes from the 1960s are used while sets are being changed. They're fun with audience members singing along -- and wishing they would continue instead of cutting away for the next scene with Toni putting a banana in the oven or being afraid of an electric razor... • Two scenes where the crowd meets at a club are well done. We're treated to some fun dance moves from the era and Robins and Reimer are amusing as a couple trying to show affection definitely not felt by the characters.

Lowlights: • The script is incredibly dated. What might have been considered whimsical and funny back in the pre-women-lib era comes off rather sexist and non-farcical in 2011 (there's a reason why this play hasn't been revived before). Wig designer Edward J. Wilson gives Barber a Goldie Hawn hairdo (Hawn won won an Oscar for the role of Toni in the film version), but we're not fooled. The cast tries hard to put some feeling into their roles, but the Novocaine of the deadened script proves too strong, especially at two and a half hours with an intermission. (Was there really a time when it was accepted that women were this stupid?)

Discounted tickets are available at http://www.givenik.com/show_info.php/Masterworks/307/individual

Christians might also like to know: • God’s name taken in vain

--Lauren Yarger