SLOW DANCE IN MIDTOWN

Any world premiere production is saddled with the unspoken concession that there is very little new under the theatrical sun. However, it is still possible to tell meaningful, relevant, and interesting stories in a way that casts a fresh light on the characters whose lives they chronicle. Bella Vita Entertainments production of Slow Dance in Midtown at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks is a glowing example of stories told anew and dedication to detail.

A bar with an absentee bartender is likely a flight of the imagination that most people will never find in reality. However, it is the principal conceit in Elizabeth Sarnoff’s original work Slow Dance in Midtown. The play opens on Frank (Don Swazye) alone in a bar. He is soon joined by Sal (Nick Stabile), and the two men’s history is quickly revealed. Both from the same home, the pair took decidedly different paths. Now, on either side of the law, they struggle to communicate with one another and indulge both in insult and bottle. By the end of the first act, it becomes clear that their relationship is forever fractured and even the illness of a shared family member cannot bring them together again. The second act opens in the same bar on Kate (Tricia Small) drinking soda and awaiting her ne’er-do-well brother, Sal. Instead, Maria (Meredith Scott Lynn) blows in like a hurricane and swiftly drives Kate to take to stronger libations. In the end, the story comes full circle and delivers a fulfilling conclusion, despite the lives that still hang in the balance.

Swazye plays well the world-weary and weathered NYC detective and Small is strong as Kate. Stabile is fully engaged as Sal, providing depth and cohesiveness to the role that he rides from beginning to end. Lynn befits her part like a skin she was poured into and delivers a flawless performance full of laughs and crucial believability. Sarnoff’s direction is top notch, and while, at times, the information delivery becomes a bit laborious, her script overall is gratifying and poignant, leaving you with the feeling that this playwright has much to offer. The action takes place on one singularly beautiful set designed by Tom Buderwitz and Andy Hammer. While patrons might be hard pressed to find an intact Boston Red Sox hat in any bar contained within the five Burrows, this fully realized and captivating set is so authentic that one feels they could almost step into it and live there. The cast is further supported by well-conceived and fitting costumes as well as a talented design team, but it is the characters and unique story telling that gives Slow Dance its beat.

Slow Dance in Midtown runs through May 12th at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. http://www.slowdanceinmidtown.com/