Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA
Legendary comedy writer Neil Simon’s 1972 play The Sunshine Boys has an excellent premise: two old vaudevillian stars who worked together for over 40 years, but who haven’t spoken in over a decade, are reunited for a TV spot. (In fact, it was a good enough premise for Fellini to copy for Ginger e Fredfor his comedy/drama in 1986. Read more…
Bob Verini – ArtsInLA
The pleasures of The Sunshine Boys stem from the interplay of phlegmatic Judd Hirsch and volcanic Danny DeVito, one-time Taxi stars now interpreting the fictional legendary vaudeville team of (respectively) Lewis and Clark. As rendered by author Neil Simon, these so-called comedy giants are pretty tame, their alleged gifts hardly in evidence in the weak sketch they’re called upon to perform. Read more…
Steven Leigh Morris – LA Weekly
The Sunshine Boys, written in 1972 and now in a revival at the Ahmanson, isn’t just about an odd couple. It’s as much about the theater and its legacy. A washed-up vaudeville team, Al Lewis and Willie Clark (Justin Hirsch and Danny DeVito), can’t seem to live with or without each other. Read more…
Les Spindle – Frontiers L.A.
Center Theatre Group’s import of British director Thea Sharrock’s 2012 London revival of Neil Simon’s 1972 comedy The Sunshine Boys offers an appealing mix of raucous humor and nostalgia.
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Now running through November 3.