Brighton Beach Memoirs - Theatre Three | 1.18.26

Theatre Three is currently producing the Broadway musical “Brighton Beach Memoirs” by Neil Simon from January 17th to February 8th. “Brighton Beach Memoirs” is the first in what is referred to as Neil Simon's 'Eugene Trilogy' – three connected, semi-autobiographical stories of different periods in his life told through the character Eugene Jerome. Eugene is a Jewish teenager from a Polish immigrant family living in – you guessed it – the Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn. Now I’ll be honest here…I went into this one with the same thought I usually have about plays, thinking that I’m going to be bored without music and I absolutely need to get out of that mindset.

I know I’ve said this before…but I’m a work in progress!

This show was an absolute delight and it would be completely appropriate to start with any one of these actors, but I must begin with Kiernan Urso. Wow! I delayed finishing this review because I hoped magically my vocabulary would become expansive enough so I could really dive into his performance, but I’m just left with wow. I’ve known him for years and this is the most proud I’ve been. Urso played the role of Eugene, who’s essentially the Neil Simon character and doubles as the show’s narrator. He was all over the stage and was perfect at every turn. Urso flipped back and forth from being a young teenage boy to an engaging narrator, guiding us through each moment and scene seamlessly. His ability to go from comedic to mature and reflective at points was beyond impressive.

Joining Urso is another Theatre Three veteran - Linda May - in the role of Kate, Eugene’s mother. Honestly, we are *always* happy to see May on stage. She is known for being consistently excellent and this was no exception. It was a joy to see how she depicted Kate’s love for each member of the family. From her children, to her husband, to her sister and niece - she showed us a person who was driven by love and it was powerful. Love manifests itself in so many different ways and May’s ability to show some of the best and worst bits of that was astounding. Two of her scene partners were integral to making that happen; Angelo DiBiase and Suzie Dunn, who played her husband Jack and her sister Blanche respectively. DiBiase played it all so well. Jack is a character who is struggling to provide for his family and despite his challenges, pushes forward. DiBiase was wonderful in bringing you into that emotion - as was Dunn in her portrayal of Blanche. Her desperation to overcome her ailments was palpable and made your heart ache.

Top: Kiernan Urso. Bottom: Emilia Guzzetta, Michael Anthony Shapiro, Angelo DiBiase, Linda May, Suzie Dunn, Erin Risolo.

Photo Credit: Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions, Inc. Permission for use across all media platforms.

Blanche has two children; Nora, who is looking to pursue a career in theater and Laurie, who faces health challenges of her own. These two were also tremendous! Nora was played by Emilia Guzzetta who (I think, anyway?!) is new to me! I loved everything she did. Just very natural and believable - I’ve got no notes. Laurie was played by Erin Risolo, who you may recognize from Theatre Three’s recent production of Annie. Another “wow”! She brought maturity to the role that I wouldn’t have known she had after only seeing her in Annie. Mark my words - this is somebody to look out for. She’s fantastic and if this is where we begin at her age, I can’t wait to see where we end up in a few years.

Rounding out the cast is the always fantastic Michael Anthony Shapiro in the role of Stanley, Eugene’s older brother. I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing Shapiro in a straight play (you know, I’m a musical guy) and he shined brightly in this environment! This is a person who continues to surprise me with every role he takes on. He made Stanley feel real; watching his scenes with Urso were so endearing and at times, brought me back to the dynamic I felt with my younger brother at that age. Shapiro is a joy.

Michael Anthony Shapiro, Kiernan Urso.

Photo Credit: Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions, Inc. Permission for use across all media platforms.

While the cast was top notch, the creative team was as well! Congratulations to Director Colleen Rebecca Britt for making this come to life and for her direction that ultimately led to some of the best character portrayals I’ve seen in some time. Some of the technical aspects were really stunning - I spoke with Artistic Director Jeffrey Sanzel after the show who shared that the light that follows Urso through his narration and in and out of scenes/transitions was pre-programmed.

For anyone who doesn’t know how that differs from the norm - as a performer we don’t usually have to think about that. There’s a person in the “spotlight spot” (as I like to call it) that follows *us* and we just do what we do. Knowing that Urso was moving from spot to spot - completely spot on - to this pre-programmed light track makes his performance even more impressive. There are so many things to think about when acting! Am I getting the emotion right? Am I funny where I need to be? And now we add ‘Am I in the right place to catch my light?!’ Kudos upon kudos.

Couldn’t be me!

Additionally, Theatre Three knows their space so well. This set was astounding. The lower level of the home was rich in detail. When we traveled upstairs, it was lit beautifully and when anyone went outside, they used the very edge of the stage to depict the street with perfect lighting that provided moonlight. Brilliant. Good on you, Steven Uihlein! I found myself looking forward to the next time somebody walks back into the street so I could enjoy the effects again.

All in all, Brighton Beach Memoirs was a delightful production that makes you feel a multitude of emotions. I am now going to stop saying I’m not a play person! Whether you are looking for an evening or afternoon of good performances, or want to marvel at the technical aspect of theater - this production’s got it and I’d encourage you to catch it. They will be running at Theatre Three until February 8th and tickets can be purchased in person, by calling the box office, or by visiting their website at www.theatrethree.com.

You can also catch my interview with Kiernan Urso as well as our extended conversation on the videos page of the website!

Erin Risolo, Linda May, Angelo DiBiase, Kiernan Urso, Suzie Dunn, Emilia Guzzetta, Michael Anthony Shapiro.

Photo Credit: Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three Productions, Inc. Permission for use across all media platforms.

Cast:

Eugene - Kiernan Urso

Blanche - Suzie Dunn

Kate - Linda May

Laurie - Erin Risolo

Nora - Emilia Guzzetta

Stanley - Michael Shapiro

Jack - Angelo DiBiase

Creative Team:

Director - Colleen Rebecca Britt

Assistant to the Director - Jason Furnari

Technical Direction - Steven Barile, Jr.

Stage Manager - Ally Humanitzki

Scenic Design - Randall Parsons

SOUND Designer - Tim Haggerty

PROPS DESIGNER - Heather Rose Kuhn

LIGHTING DESIGNER - Steven Uihlein

Costume Designer - Jason Allyn