From nytheatre.com
NATALIE! reviewed by Kate Ward
So handsome, so talented: Greg Bratman and Tommy Dewey are all over the
place in Natalie: a Mop Story, and they are so much fun to watch.
We are never quite sure why Natalie has surrendered her cherished son
to a Pennsylvania orphanage. Equally mysterious is her decision to
board a transatlantic freighter from England to reclaim him (don't they
have airplanes?). And we know little of her feelings as she becomes the
target of a There's Something About Mary-esque obsession. She is a
silent enigma underneath her platinum blond locks. Poor Natalie. She's
only a mop after all. She's also a great plot device.
Conceived and performed by Bratman and Dewey, Natalie is basically a
sketch show linked together and propelled forward by the title
character's urgent quest. A tortured sea-captain, a villainous
ex-husband, and a dockworker poet are just a few of the off-the-wall
characters improbably invested in Natalie's return to New York Harbor.
The show is a cheeky travelogue in which everyone learns a little
something about life, love, and loss. "Everybody's got scabs, boy. Just
be glad they're on your shins," says a desperado cowboy to his
precocious young charge.
The production feels like a raucous senior class revue in the hands of
sophisticated comedians. Bratman and Dewey jump from thickening subplot
to even more thickening subplot with boisterous enthusiasm, producing a
delicious mix of dry absurdism and well-timed slapstick along the way.
They both shine. Oh, yeah, and they're both really good-looking.
Although a certain meandering silliness is part of the show's appeal,
it could use some tightening up, especially in the beginning. The
ironically sentimental back story wears a little thin after the
introduction of the umpteenth character. Also, they could be a little
more prudent in their irreverence. I heard a few whispers in the
audience after an unfortunate, "Let's roll!"
Director Merry Alderman has done a fine job in shaping this show. With
design consultant Sarah Krainin, the team creates a number of distinct
worlds without which it would be impossible to follow the plot.
Composer David Turner helps rev up the action with a hilarious
musical-theatre send up that rivals any number from Forbidden Broadway.
Bratman and Dewey are funny. They've got it. Let's hope they work hard
and continue their collaboration.