My love of romantic comedy is about the same as my love for watching the grass grow. It was with a foreboding of boredom that I accepted the assignment to review Parfumerie at the Crowded Kitchen Players.
It was to my delight that my fears were unrealized. This performance of Parfumerie is a must-see for those in search of an up-lifting Holiday Season performance.
The story is set in a parfumerié (a translation of illataszerter) in pre-World War 2 Budapest. It is located on the shopping street Vaci. Vaci street is the main-shopping street in Budapest with the world-famous Gerbeaud coffee shop on one end and the Danube River behind its shops.
It is a perfect setting for a romantic comedy.
The story-line from the original play by Miklos Laszlo was adapted by Samuel Raphaelon for the movie The Shop Around The Corner (1940). It was adapted and re-filmed as In The Good Old Summertime (1949) as a showcase for Judy Garland. In 1963, it was adapted as the Broadway musical titled She Loves Me.
The final treatment was the more recent Youve Got Mail.
This production uses the 2005 adaptation of the original Miklos play by his nephew E.P. Dowdall. The Crowded Kitchen Players perform it on a charming set lit with Christmas lights, the beginnings of the requisite decorations, and a beautiful backdrop of period Hungarian buildings framed by a large front window. Ara Barlieb designed the set and Nora Oswald painted the backdrop that captures the Vaci area perfectly.
Barlieb also directed the show. He leverages more entertainment out of fewer resources than any other director in the region and possibly the entire United States. He spiced up the usual romantic comedy with a number of hilarious comedy takes that added just the right amount of cinnamon to the eggnog.
The most creative element was the flow of characters across the huge front window of the store. There were wealthy customers, gypsies, hustlers, policemen, a parade, prostitutes, and a street sweeper. The gypsies were cleaner and better dressed, and the prostitutes were much sexier than the usual ones on the real Vaci Utca.
The direction, the action and the story carried the cast through the performance. Several actors struggled to express the idiosyncrasies inherent in their characters. Noticeable lapses occurred as actors searched for lines. Some actions seemed thought not felt.
But the direction and the strength of the story line allowed these weaknesses to fade into the background just as the modern radiator and the painted two-by-fours in the window frame did.
Meghan LaVerne gave the strongest individual performance as the delivery boy Arpad. Her interactions with her protégé Fritz, played well by a believable A.J. Stein, added comedic highlights to the show.
The romantic couple of George Horvath (William Alexander) and Amalia Balash (Kelly Herbert James) are fetching. The audience applauded when they finally came together.
Their entanglement was resolved with the support of David Oswald as the shop owner, Brian Keller as Mr. Sipos and numerous other actors.
The show is a delightful romantic comedy that will charm every audience that sees it. I believe it will be the best Christmas show this season. If you are looking to get your holiday off to a strong start, this show will do it for you. If you have romance in your heart, take it out for a special date at the Parfumerie.
Shows will be given at 8PM December 7,8,14,15 and 2PM on December 9 and 16. Tickets are $18 for adults, $14 for seniors and $10 for students. P
Performances are given at McCooles Arts and Events Place in Quakertown. You can have dinner at McCooles before the show or drinks after.
Andrew Ferrous can be reached at