The Marx Brothers' breatkthrough Broadway musical comedy, 'The Cocoanuts', will be revived in June by Crowded Kitchen Players at McCoole's in Quakertown.
Last year, the company presented a later Marx Brothers' hit, 'Animal Crackers', to mark their 50th production since their founding in 2000.
'The Cocoanuts', which opened in December 1925 and ran 276 performances at the Lyric Theatre, was the brothers' second show on the White Way, following their musical revue 'I'll Say She Is', which played a year earlier.
The script, which loosely recounts the trials of the hapless staff and inept management of a decrepit Florida Hotel, was written by George S. Kaufman, with music by the prolific Irving Berlin.
The Hotel de Cocoanut has fallen on hard times, priÂmarÂily because owner/operator Henry W. SchlemÂmer and his drunken cousin JamiÂson are comÂpletely oblivÂiÂous to the needs and expecÂtaÂtions of their guests and staff.
When the famously wealthy Mrs. PotÂter and her lovely” but comÂpletely clueÂless” daughÂter Polly arrive for a stay, and Polly falls in love with Schlemmers chief clerk, Robert Adams, and when the comÂpulÂsive thief PeneÂlope MarÂtin schemes with the superÂcilÂious con-man HarÂvey Yates to steal Mrs. Potters jewÂelry and blame it on Adams, only the uninÂtelÂliÂgiÂble immiÂgrant Willie and his irreÂpressÂible partÂner Silent Sam can elude hapÂless DetecÂtive HenÂnessey long enough to foil the plan.
David 'Oz' Oswald takes on the role of the Hotel's manager, Henry Schlemmer, created by the legendary Groucho Marx. As in 'Animal Crackers', no attempt is made to imitate or even to recall the familiar grease moustache, bouncing eyebrows, or elongated stride of the character's originator.
Tom Harrison takes on the Chico Marx character, Willie, in a similar reprise of his 'Animal Crackers' role.
'The Cocoanuts' will run June 7 through June 23 at McCoole's Arts and Events Place, 10 South Main Street, Quakertown, PA
For ticket information, call 610-395-7176, or visit the Crowded Kitchen Players website www.ckplayers.com