ARCHANGELS DON’T PLAY PINBALL
The atmosphere is set as soon as you walk in the theater. A very tense guy in sunglasses sits in the front row reading a tabloid, what appeared to me to be a “best of” the Star. By the time the first production number was over (“Watch Out for the Tilt,” comparing life to a game of pinball), and the shifty-looking guys singing it had dragged the guy reading the Star onstage with them, I was in a wonky state of mind and ready for anything. Good thing, too, because anything and everything is what Archangels Don’t Play Pinball is all about.
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The talents of the ensemble are varied, but Helweg and MacAustin have molded them into such a cohesive unit that it doesn’t matter. Everyone is zealous in their commitment to the outrageous. Everyone in the ensemble plays numerous parts, and each have their strong moments. A few actors do stand out. Marc A. Nelson is marvelous in all his roles, but particularly as the Joe Friday-type detective and the flighty corrupt mayor. Shawn Durr’s Lofty is an astounding blend of hero and madman, whose variations in Fo’s lines have hilarious results. And while Lofty’s seeming madness often stems from the madness of the world around him, Durr takes it further than any of his cohorts and Lofty’s brilliance shines through–even in a Sylvester the Cat imitation.
