Cramped, Cool, Eclectic, and Energetic, Robert Hedges
and a Crack Cast of Characters Take Us Back to the 1930’s
When Radio Was King, And the Marx Brothers Were a Comedic
Force to Be Reckoned With!
By Phil Rainone
Featuring Robert Hegyes As Chico, Ron MacCloskey as
Groucho, Francesca Tedeschi as The Receptionist, Alex Dawson
as the Landlord, and Michael Jarmus as the announcer
The Raconteur Book Store has been presenting plays, readings,
and even musical performances for many years but sadly the
store recently announced it would be closing at the end
of this month. For the store’s presentation of “Flywheel,
Shyster and Flywheel,” this was my first visit, and
being an avid Marx Brothers fan, I was happily surprised
at the top-notch acting, audience participation (about 35
people), and the over-all TLC with which the show was presented.
For a ten dollar donation, we got an old-time radio show
that, by the time the second set rolled around, if you closed
your eyes, it would almost feel like Groucho and Chico were
there, bantering back and forth trying to one-up each other
in one of their classic movies. Robert Hegyes played Chico,
while Ron MacCloskey starred as Groucho (he came dressed
for the part in classic Groucho gear, including cigar, grease
paint mustache and eyebrows, and a battered suit and tie.)
By the second act (they used old-time commercials - like
an ad for Muriel Cigars – to segue to the next scene),
Groucho and Chico were going toe-to-toe with their zany
routines, reading rapid fire one-liners with maximum mojo!
You could almost see The Marx Brothers smiling from above.
Reading from scripts, but with the zeal and zest of motion
picture actors, they entertained the eyes as well as the
ears with ease. Groucho; “How much do you charge to
play?” Chico; “Ten dollars.” Groucho:
“How much do you charge not to play?” Chico:
“You couldn’t afford me!” They had the
small but powerful audience in stitches, laughing and clapping
like they were 1000 strong!
Back in the day, radio shows were presented in front of
live audiences. You really had to be on your toes - one
slip or blown line, and they would ride you ‘till
your face was red!
Using an old-style microphone and stand, each actor stepped
up to the mic either solo or as a group, each bringing characters
from the long, bygone age of radio to life with reverence
and nostalgia, but never dull or boring. There were even
timely sound effects and songs dotted throughout the show.
One of the best songs was sung by Francesca Tedeschi. She
has the unique vocals of someone like Patti Scalia, and
the moxie to go with it. Groucho sang “Lydia the Tattooed
Lady” with the funny, hint-and-wink sexual cadence
of the original. This was way more than I had expected,
and each actor rose to the occasion time and time again.
The radio play was chock-full of the Marx Brothers’
hilarious one-liners, and the play also conveyed the Marx
Brothers’ snarky attitude toward people of the upper
class and those of authority - always making fun of them
and their “Money can buy you anything/Authority is
always right way of life.”
And if you’re looking for a musical connection, when
The Beatles did A Hard Day’s Night, they made sure
to hire Richard Lester to direct the movie. Lester was the
genius (along with the Marx Brothers) who directed a good
chunk of The Marx Brothers movies. Sweet!
The Raconteur Book Store will be closing in a couple of
weeks, so stop in and get some great buys while you can.
But the shows will be presented at another venue in the
near future. Get on their mailing list to find out where
and when. For more info, visit
www.raconteurnj.com