For Piano and Harpo at Falcon Theatre

For Piano and Harpo

Falcon Theatre
4252 Riverside Drive Burbank

Oscar Levant, the brilliant, witty, pill-popping concert pianist, wakes up to find himself in the Psych Ward of Mt. Sinai Hospital. His past collides with his present, as he grapples with his demons to save his marriage and his sanity. It's a nightmarish, and sometimes hilarious journey, from addiction to redemption, as he verbally jousts with Jack Paar, is haunted by the genius of George Gershwin, and moves in with his only friend, Harpo Marx.

Thru - Mar 5, 2017

Wednesdays: 8:00pm

Thursdays: 8:00pm

Fridays: 8:00pm

Saturdays: 8:00pm

Sundays: 4:00pm

Price: $37-$45

Show Type: Comedy/Drama

Box Office: 818-955-8101

www.falcontheatre.com

For Piano and Harpo Reviews

Average Rating based on 8 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Broadway World - Highly Recommended

"...One of the play's most intriguing aspects is that it is written as a kind of "textual concerto"...for Piano and Harpo. Its two main characters function independently of the supporting ensemble yet they all collectively work together to create the whole. The three movements of a classical concerto could be viewed as the three time periods in the play even though they do not play out consecutively. Each period has its own tempo, as in a concerto, and the typical exposition/development/recapitulation form fits the storyline as Castellaneta has written it."

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- Ellen Dostal

Edge - Recommended

"...It's an uneven show as written, with what one suspects as far too many themes running through it, but director Stefan Novinski moves it well, guiding the veteran cast into and through their realities on Stephen Gifford's wide, detailed set. And Kate Bergh's costume design works through the many decades memorably. "

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- Dale Reynolds

Stage and Cinema - Recommended

"...The other hard-working actors (Deb Lacusta, Gail Matthias, Phil Proctor, and Jonathan Stark) were constantly dashing in and out, moving small set pieces, changing costume, and dealing with props (if, indeed, the thespians used props at all: some had props, some didn't; I found that incongruity as disconcerting as the fake cigarettes that didn't blow smoke). But there's no overall style, and scene segues needed to happen much faster-you don't want this kind of train to slow down for a second lest you notice that there's no trajectory."

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- Tony Frankel

LA Splash - Highly Recommended

"...Director Stefan Novinski has succeeded in seamlessly shifting the scenes between the phases and events of Levant's life, and all the actors move smoothly in and out of their different roles as his parents, the psych ward patients, various show biz celebrities and more. The show features many great, often darkly humorous, one-liners!"

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- Ester Benjamin Shifren

Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended

"...Comedian, composer, pianist, actor, raconteur, best-selling author, quiz-show guest and talk-show host-Oscar Levant was all of these and more, and thanks to writer-star Dan Castellaneta, the largely forgotten 20th-century icon returns to self-deprecating, neurotic, pill-addicted, acerbic life in Castellaneta's entertaining, elucidating bio-dramedy For Piano And Harpo, a Falcon Theatre World Premiere."

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- Steven Stanley

The Tolucan Times - Highly Recommended

"...For Piano and Harpo showcases the razor-sharp wit of composer-pianist Oscar Levant, framed by the mostly self-inflicted demons he used to deal with his genius. It is a tour de force for Dan Castellaneta who plays Levant, in addition to also being the playwright of the provocative piece for the Laugh Then Think Production. Castellaneta uses slices of Levant's own snappy repartee throughout and delivers it like the true original."

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- Margie Barron

ArtsInLA - Recommended

"...Though the play challenges the audience to keep the time periods and events sorted out, it works best as a theatrical endeavor when it focuses on the human aspects of the story rather than the biographical. The ensemble's considerable talent makes for a worthwhile exploration of this complex and intriguing man."

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- Melinda Schupmann

Stage Raw - Somewhat Recommended

"...Castellaneta has written a loving homage to the muse of Oscar Levant, and a complex one at that, weaving in and out of timelines and with actors morphing from one character to another. He has attempted to showcase some of Levant's legendary wit, and it's nice to hear classic one-liners that pass the test of time."

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- Vanessa Cate