News from AmericanTheater Web, 4/10/2006
Gomez’ Los Big Names Satisfyingly Hilarious, Moving Autobiography
47th Street Theatre
At this juncture, most theatergoers have probably come to realize that the phrase “family dysfunction” and “one-person autobiographical play” go hand-in-hand. Audiences will not find this truism disproved in Marga Gomez’ enormously appealing and entertaining Los Big Names, but they will also find that Gomez packs this ninety-minute piece with a great deal more, broadening its appeal and making “Names’ feeling unusually fresh.
One feels this as soon as Gomez takes to the stage in a tailcoat, shirt and men’s boxer shorts, sporting a thin moustache. She’s entered as her deceased father, a one-time entertainer in New York, who performed under the name Willy Chevalier (yes, the surname is a nod to Maurice) alongside the likes of Tito Puente at movie theaters around the city, following the screening of Spanish-language films. Willy acknowledges that he’s dead and in addition to asking for the audience’s forbearance with what’s to come, he attempts to find a girlfriend for his daughter.
Soon Gomez has doffed the moustache, donned trousers and a lame vest and is regaling the audience with a tale of auditioning for Kathleen Turner (whom she impersonates vividly and wickedly) in L.A. And thus, “Names” is off and running with Gomez flipping back and forth through time, talking about her childhood and experiences as an adult. Her parents’ unhappy marriage, naturally, comes under scrutiny as do the vagaries of her youth, given that both mom and dad were performers. Margarita was dad’s partner on stage as well and at one point, Gomez herself was part of the act in a sketch about divorce in which the couple divided items based on the words’ gender.
Gomez’ portrayals of her parents are not only marvelously distinct; they are laced with loving irony. One particularly amusing moment in “Names” comes when Willy and Margarita demand that Gomez tell them whom she loves more. Gomez alternates between playing herself as a child, her flamboyant, vain mother and her equally flamboyant and macho father, hilariously punctuating the segment with her own adult observations about this childhood episode.
Her portrayals of other characters in the story are spot-on: from boys in front of a bodega lewdly calling out to her mother to a hilarious turn as Queen Latifah during her death scene in the flop film “Sphere” (in which Gomez also had a role). Even incidental characters, such as a woman who tells little girl Marga that her parents are vampires because they’re never seen during the day and wear their sunglasses at night are fully realized. The show has been staged by David Schweizer, who, as always, demonstrates his watchful eye for nuance in character detail and differentiation.
For some audience members, Gomez’ narrative, which gives few mileposts for its timeline, may seem unwieldy. Even as she digresses from one story into another though, theatergoers should trust in her storytelling abilities – she does return to point and conclude each tale.
The cumulative effect of “Names” is that it not only amuses, but it also touches theatergoers deeply. As the play winds down, and Gomez describes both of her parents’ later years, there is an undeniable bittersweet poignancy. Being moved by a one-person show is not unique, but somehow, with its narrative sprawl and unique ingredients, Los Big Names feels particularly satisfying.—————————————————————Los Big Names continues through May 28 at the 47th Street Theatre (304 West 47th Street). Performances are Monday, Wednesday through Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 2 and 8pm and Sunday at 3 and 7pm. Tickets are $45.00 and can be purchased by calling 212-239-6200. Further information is available online at www.LosBigNames.com.
—Andy Propst
