Hitting Their Marx, Goodman Troupers Bite Into Animal Crackers, Opening Sept. 28

By Kenneth Jones
28 Sep 2009

Animal Crackers' Mara Davi and Joey Slotnick
Animal Crackers' Mara Davi and Joey Slotnick
Photo by Eric Y. Exit

Animal Crackers, the Jazz Age musical comedy romp that first starred the Marx Brothers, opens at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago Sept. 28. Broadway's Tony Yazbeck, Jonathan Brody, Mara Davi, Stanley Wayne Mathis and Chicago favorites Molly Brennan and Joey Slotnick are among its players.

Previews began at the Goodman's Albert Theatre Sept. 18. Henry Wishcamper directs, with choreography by Tony Award nominee John Carrafa (Into the Woods, Urinetown).

Animal Crackers (1928) is written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, with music and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. Its film version is considered a comedy classic. The players in this revival assume the iconic personae of the vaudevillian Marx Brothers — complete with crazy hats, hairdos and mustaches.

In Animal Crackers, according to Goodman, "chaos ensues at the estate of Mrs. Rittenhouse when a celebrated sculpture is stolen during a party honoring the African explorer Captain Spaulding. A series of madcap Marx Brothers antics follows as the guests set out to find the burglar."

The cast of Animal Crackers includes Joey Slotnick (of Lookingglass' recent Our Town) as Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding, the Groucho Marx role; Jeff Award-winning comic actress Molly Brennan as The Professor, Harpo Marx's role; Jonathan Brody (Titanic, Sally Marr…and her escorts) as Emanuel Ravelli, Chico Marx's role; Ed Kross (an American Theater Co. veteran) as Horatio Jamison, Zeppo Marx's role; Ora Jones (Goodman's The Good Person of Setzuan, Proof and Marvin's Room) as Mrs. Rittenhouse; Jessie Mueller (Bowery Boys at Marriott Theatre) as Grace Carpenter; Tony Yazbeck (Broadway's A Chorus Line) as Wally Winston; Mara Davi (Broadway's A Chorus Line, The Drowsy Chaperone) as Arabella Rittenhouse and Stanley Wayne Mathis (Broadway's Kiss Me, Kate and Wonderful Town) as Hives.

The show's "clowning director" is Paul Kalina (500 Clown's Elephant Deal and Macbeth) and music director is Doug Peck (Court Theatre's Carousel; Caroline, or Change).

The creative team is completed by set designer Robin Vest (Playwrights Horizons' Pen); costume designer Jenny Mannis (Atlantic Theatre's Port Authority; Playwrights Horizons' Drunken City); lighting designer Matthew Richards (The Old Globe Theatre's The Women; Manhattan Class Company's Grace) and sound designer Richard Woodbury (Goodman Theatre's King Lear, Broadway's Desire Under the Elms).

Tickets are $25–$76. Call (312) 443-3800 or visit GoodmanTheatre.org.

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Production Sponsors for Animal Crackers include Abbott, Mayer Brown LLP, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Goodman Theatre's Women's Board.