Suitehearts

The current show at Newport Playhouse is the crazy comedy, "Suitehearts". A young couple from New Bedford,MA checks into a New York hotel to fill their weekend with wedded bliss only to have it filled with strangers. Timothy and his wife, Elizabeth, are inadvertently booked into the same honeymoon suite as Frankie and Wanda, an older couple from New Jersey. After a hilarious scuffle over the accommodations, no one is where or with whom they should be. During the course of this zany evening, Timothy grows into a man, Elizabeth realizes she must trust Tim, Frankie makes an attempt to respect women, Wanda learns to respect herself and the bellhop gets what he deserves. Matt Siravo keeps the action fast paced and his 5 performers are in constant motion delivering slapstick performances that will leave you laughing all night long.   Matt fills the show with plenty of sight gags including ice in the crotch of a pants, money hidden there, too, falling over the sofa.. There are also many funny one liners, too. Stage manager Nishan Lawton keeps things running smoothly all night long. Fred Davison and Hen Zannini are hoots as Frankie and Wanda Bellamy. He uses a tough Jersey accent, wears red satin pajamas from the Hugh Hefner collection and beats everyone up in his path while she wears a blonde wig, Victoria secret style clothes (leopard outfits) and has a Jersey accent, too. They deliver their one liners with ease and keep the audience in stitches all night long. Hen's funniest lines include shithead, wake me when you are done and Debbie Reynolds while Fred's are I didn't want an old maid for a girlfriend and making love is like labor day.  James Bagley and Stefanie Arruda play the young newlyweds, Tim and Elizabeth Taylor. (James' real-life wife, Jamie also plays Elizabeth at other performances.*** See Addendum). He sounds like Kermit, the frog as this nerdy guy. Wanda helps Tim stand up to his overbearing mother on the phone. A running gag is based on the famous actress' name with his overbearing mother constantly calling him on the phone all night long. They handle the nervousness and timid behavior beautifully and their transition into grownups works very well, too. His nerdy plaid pants and cotton in his nose for the nose bleeds on the 15th floor are very funny. James steals many a scene as this wacky character. The drunk scene between Fred and Stef is hilarious and James' taking off his pajama top and putting it back on when his mother calls is a hoot. A funny prop is Tim's Sex Manual called Mad Sex for Dummies which contains 1000 different positions to have sex.  Matt gives his performers clever shtick to do. Hen's funniest scene occurs when she suggestively pulls Jim offstage into the bedroom.  Last but not least in this show is George Roach as Herman, the shady bellman who constantly keeps ripping off Tim by forcing him to give him ten dollar tips, teaching him about proper hotel etiquette. He also tries to pass off a leftover breakfast for the newlyweds. *** I returned to Newport Playhouse Sunday to see the other leading lady perform in this show. Jamie Bagley is a hoot as Elizabeth Taylor. She and her husband, Jim work beautifully together on stage. Her funniest moments come when she pours ice in Tim's pajamas to cool him off and when she flashes Hen and Fred. Jamie and Jim return to the Playhouse after spending the past 4 years in NYC. The evening starts off with a delicious all you can eat buffet prepared by Sue Raposa with the spare ribs disappearing quickly because the meat is so tender it falls off the bone. A patriotic cabaret follows after the show. SUITEHEARTS ( 24 June to 1 August, 2010) Newport Playhouse, 104 Connell Highway, Newport,RI  1(401)848-PLAY(7529) or www.newportplayhouse.com