Arts Center Theatre on Marco Island is presenting Neil Simon this season, starting with “Last of the Red Hot Lovers.” Director Cheryl Duggan says it’s been on her bucket list for decades.
“I am a huge fan of Neil Simon,” said Duggan. “This particular show is a very sophisticated Neil Simon. The dialogue is beautiful. The premise is absolutely hysterical, yet, in the end, there is kind of a reset button. The moral compass comes back to true north.”
That premise centers around married restaurant owner Barney Cashman, who feels that life is passing him by. Middle-aged and married, overworked and overweight, Barney wants to join the sexual revolution before it’s too late. So he arranges three seductions: In the first, Elaine Navazio proves to be a foul-mouthed bundle of neuroses; Bobbi Michele is an actress who’s too kooky by half; and Jeanette Fisher is a gloomy, depressed housewife who happens to be married to Barney’s best friend.
The 1950s morality causes Barney to self-sabotage every attempt at seduction.
Duggan tapped fan favorite Mitch Frank to play the inept Barney Cashman.
“Very honestly, he brilliantly carries the show on his back,” Duggan said. “He has a difficult job to make you feel that he’s not just a cad, he’s kind of vulnerable …. He’s inept. He’s clumsy. You almost feel sorry for him.”
Much of the comedy flows from Neil Simon’s witty dialogue. There’s also an abundance of physical comedy, amplified by the cozy confines of the 82-seat theater, where the front row is a mere 4 feet from the stage.
“Audiences will really enjoy the physical comedy part of this,” Duggan predicted. “The first character, there’s some real physical comedy, almost Carol Burnett-ish at one point. The second one, Bobbi Michelle, is bigger than life … as is the third woman. And given that there’s such a small space, you feel like you’re part of the situation.”
In February, Arts Center Theatre will present “The Odd Couple.” The theater is in the Marco Town Center.
MORE INFORMATION:
“Last of the Red Hot Lovers” runs through January 26.
Performances will take place Wednesday through Friday at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday-Sunday matinees at 3 p.m.
Tickets are available for purchase online at marcoislandart.org/arts-center-theatre/ or by calling the box office at 239-784-1186.
Joining Mitch Frank in the cast are Christi Lueck-Sadiq as Elaine Navazio, Dixie Huey as Bobbi Michelle and Betsy Greenblatt as Jeanette Fisher.
Frank and Greenblatt have been married in real life for more than 40 years.
“As I say to them every time we finish the third act, ‘you have such chemistry together,’” said Duggan, laughing. “They play off of each other so well. The pick-ups are absolutely there. They finish one another’s sentences. It’s really beautifully done.”
While Duggan acknowledges that the show revolves around Mitch Frank, she says without hesitation that “the women are wonderful also.”
Duggan has been involved in theater most of her life, “mostly musical theater because that’s my passion,” she noted. “And I’ve been lucky enough to probably play dozens of leading lady roles in musicals.”
She also ran her own theater company in her home state of Massachusetts, where she produced small box musicals and straight shows.
“’Red Hot Lovers’ is not only very funny,” said Duggan, “it’s endearing and this cast is brilliant. Every one of the characters is very distinct, and they bring their character absolutely home. It’s a wonderful show.”
The Belle Theatre produced “Last of the Red Hot Lovers” in September 2024. You can read or listen to the review for that production on WGCU.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.