Steven Rosen, Kate Wetherhead, David Rossmer |
.
Turns out that set is an apartment and, the yet unseen, Josh
Cohen, is being robbed. Narrator Josh walks through the aisle and explains
what has just happened, just as a frumpier and much angrier Josh Cohen arrives
on stage to find he was just burgled. Narrator Josh is a year older and wiser. He explains to stage Josh that is the story of what happened “back then”. Narrator Josh’s acceptance of the
circumstances is, unsurprisingly, of little comfort to the recently robbed Josh. The interplay between these two characters,
separated by a year, is charmingly funny.
Imagine your future self coming back to a venerable point in your life
to tell you everything will be fine - when everything is, thank you very much,
definitely NOT fine. Even more annoying for real time
Josh, his future self has lost weight, cleaned up a little and is entirely too
smug.
.
The story then unfolds in song and sketch. Not long after the burglary, when Josh has
nothing, a check arrives in the mail for $56,000. It is from Ida Cohen, a relative from
Florida. Well, maybe a relative. Our Josh tries to ascertain exactly which
relative it is, and why Ida is sending him money. After some interesting exposition on the
Cohen family tree and suggestions from his family to just take the money, Josh
finds out there is, indeed, a different and unrelated Josh Cohen at a similar
address.
This is a simple set up, played with enthusiasm and heart
by Steven Rosen (real time Josh) and David Rossmer (Narrator Josh). These two gentlemen make a great pair and yet
are still believable as the same character separated by a year. These two talented men also wrote the book, lyrics and music
- so their ease in the characters is organic.
.
The Other Josh Cohen has a veteran supporting cast who excel in playing
in the band, while still performing all the other characters. Ken Triwush, Vadim Feichtner and Hannah Elless
all move from being band members to characters and back seamlessly with a real
sense of joy and fun. Kate Wetherhead
plays a myriad of secondary chacters, transitioning from an attractive young
woman to Seth Cohen, Patriarch of a vast Cohen family, and everything in
between. Ms. Wehterhead makes all the characters work wonderfully. In particular, her Ida Cohen, circa Boca, is flawless.
.
Directed with a light touch by
Ted Sperling, The Other Josh Cohen snuck up on me. It starts gently and builds in humor and
pathos as the show progresses. By the
end, I kind of loved it, and left with a huge grin. You can’t ask from much more than that.
The Other Josh Cohen
Book, Music & Lyrics: David Rossmer and Steve Rosen
Director: Ted Sperling
Cast: Hannah Elless, Vadim Feichtner, Steve Rosen, David
Rossmer, Ken Triwush, Kate Wtherehead
SoHo Playhouse - Website
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