Chicago Will Bite Into Animal Crackers For Extra Week; Davi and Yazbeck Exit for Broadway

By Kenneth Jones
09 Oct 2009

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

Goodman Theatre in Chicago has added a week of performances to its well-reviewed production of the Jazz Age musical, Animal Crackers, now to Nov. 1.

Director Henry Wishcamper's production of this rarely staged Marx Brothers classic musical features Chicago and Broadway stars.

In the extension week, the show will lose Mara Davi and Tony Yazbeck (they are off to do White Christmas on Broadway). Their understudies, Katie Spelman and Patrick Sarb, will play their Animal Crackers roles.

The Oct. 28-Nov. 1 extension week offers six new performances. Animal Crackers opened at the Goodman Sept. 28. Previews began at the Goodman's Albert Theatre Sept. 18. Choreography is by Tony Award nominee John Carrafa (Into the Woods, Urinetown).

According to Goodman notes, "In Animal Crackers, chaos ensues at the Long Island estate of Mrs. Rittenhouse when a celebrated painting goes missing during a party honoring the African explorer Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding. The Marx Brothers unleash a series of comic antics as the guests set out to find the burglar, amidst two sets of love interests and a variety of madcap subplots."

Written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, with music and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, Animal Crackers at the Goodman features a cast of nine: Joey Slotnick leads the antics as the African explorer Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding — the vaudevillian persona created by Groucho Marx for the 1928 stage original. Joining Slotnick in the roles originated by the other Marx Brothers are Molly Brennan as The Professor (Harpo); Jonathan Brody as Emanuel Ravelli (Chico); and Ed Kross as Horatio Jamison (Zeppo). Also featured in the ensemble cast are Ora Jones as Mrs. Rittenhouse; Jessie Mueller as Grace Carpenter; Tony Yazbeck as Wally Winston; Mara Davi as Arabella Rittenhouse; and Stanley Wayne Mathis as Hives.

Tickets to Animal Crackers ($25 – $76) are currently on sale at GoodmanTheatre.org.