KAPLAN'S DOCTOR IS JUST WHAT THIS PLAY ORDERED.Byline: Julio Martinez Special to the Daily News The Corelli family will never be mistaken for the Sopranos or the Corleones, but that doesn't mean they don't have murderous ambitions. They're just extremely inept at it. ``Thicker Than Water,'' Roy Batocchio's comedic look at a New York-based Italian family that plots to eliminate a meddlesome med·dle·some adj. Inclined to meddle or interfere. med  dle·some·ly adv.med in-law, never quite achieves the necessary comedic flow, but it does have its moments. Director Stu Berg conducts the proceedings at too deliberate a pace, seldom allowing Batocchio's plethora of clever sitcom antics to ignite. The production is more than worth the price of admission, however, if only to witness the flat-out hilarious portrayal of the family physician, Dr. Flanken flan·ken n. 1. A cut of meat taken from the short ribs of beef. 2. A dish prepared from this cut of beef by boiling or stewing, often served with horseradish. , by veteran sitcom actor Marvin Kaplan (``Alice''). Batocchio, who wrote for TV's ``Love Boat,'' has layered the plot with comical malevolence. L.A.-based television writer Tommy Corelli (Dave Scotti) has been hurriedly summoned back to the family home in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of by older brother Carmine carmine /car·mine/ (kahr´min) a red coloring matter used as a histologic stain. indigo carmine indigotindisulfonate sodium. car·mine n. (Roger Cruz) to help in a family crisis. Tommy immediately becomes a confidante con·fi·dante n. 1. A woman to whom secrets or private matters are disclosed. 2. A woman character in a drama or fiction, such as a trusted friend or servant, who serves as a device for revealing the inner thoughts or intentions to everyone's supposedly secret plot to do away with Uncle Albert's (Jack Kutcher) wife, Gertrude (Susan Morgenstern), a childless, dominating shrew shrew, common name for the small, insectivorous mammals of the family Soricidae, related to the moles. Shrews include the smallest mammals; the smallest shrews are under 2 in. (5.1 cm) long, excluding the tail, and the largest are about 6 in. (15 cm) long. who has decided to use her money and political influence to take over the Corelli construction business. Carmine and sister Marie (Cecily Adams) have hired a hit man. Tommy's dad Dominick (Leonard Ross) and Albert have hired kidnappers. Mama Rose (Constance Mellors) has arranged to have cellar-dwelling Grandma (unseen) shoot Gertrude when she comes over to visit. And even Carmine's mild-mannered but emotionally volatile girlfriend, Meredith (Barbara Mallory), could turn murderous (she carries a pistol) if provoked. The ensemble fails to adequately spotlight the playwright's obvious punch lines, seldom achieving the energetic rapport and zaniness necessary to convey the farcical far·ci·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to farce. 2. a. Resembling a farce; ludicrous. b. Ridiculously clumsy; absurd. far ineptitude Ineptitude See also Awkwardness. Brown, Charlie meek hero unable to kick a football, fly a kite, or win a baseball game. [Comics: “Peanuts” in Horn, 543] Capt. Queeg incompetent commander of the minesweeper Caine. of the family's efforts to do in Gertrude. Scotti exudes the correct level of incredulousness as Tommy, and Morgenstern is properly flamboyant as Gertrude. Also scoring points is Mallory's quirky portrayal of Meredith. But Adams, Cruz, Kutcher, Mellors and Ross are often understated to the point of appearing malnourished mal·nour·ished adj. Affected by improper nutrition or an insufficient diet. . However, when he's on stage, Kaplan's Dr. Flanken takes the production to another level. He doesn't play farce - he is farce. Tom Giamario's well-lived-in design of the Corelli household does much to lend authenticity to the proceedings, as does sound designer Joe Morrisey's mood-setting use of Louis Prima recordings. The facts --What: ``Thicker Than Water.'' --Where: Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. W., Los Angeles. (888) 551-9378. --When: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday; through Feb. 27. --Tickets: $12. --Our rating: Two and one half stars CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Leonard Ross, left, Jack Kutcher and Cecily Adams are part of an inept Mafia family in ``Thicker Than Water.' |
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