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| Joseph Abaldo, Jerry Beal, Marion McCorry. |
IONESCOPADE
[Musical Revue] CN/D: Robert Allan Ackerman; M/LY: Mildred Kayden; SC: the
writings of Eugene Ionesco; CH: Merry Lynn Katis; S/L: David Sackeroff; C:
Patricia Adshead; P: Kermit Bloomgarden and Roger Ailes; T: Theatre Four (OB);
4/25/74-5/5/74 (13)
This show was first done Off-Off Broadway in January 1973 by the
New Repertory Company. It moved to Off Broadway’s Cherry Lane Theatre in July, and
continued to run there under an Off-Off arrangement. Finally, it achieved full
Off-Broadway status in an expanded, partly recast version at Theatre Four,
where it closed in less than two weeks.
Ionescopade, as
its name suggests, was based on material by Romanian playwright Eugene Ionesco,
famous for his Absurdist comedies. It was put together as a fast-paced
vaudeville program of sketches, songs, and dances, performed with tremendous verve and
charm, and inventively staged by David Allan Ackerman, who was also conceived the show. He selected his scenes from Ionesco’s plays,
skits, and journals, which he set to a bouncy score by Mildred Kayden, who also
wrote the lyrics. Several short pieces were played in full, while only excerpts
from the longer works were offered. The 10 actors wore mime-like white makeup, one of them (Jerry Beal) acting as introducer for
each of the 16 numbers.
Although they found much of it enjoyable, the critics
thought the company pushed too hard and played too broadly, thus deflating
possible laugh material. “The show is intended to be a romp. It is more like a
grab,” grumbled Mel Gussow.