Lyric's 'Can't Take It With You' is worth a look-see

LOGAN — In presenting "You Can't Take It With You," the Old Lyric Repertory Company is striving to bring a bit of Americana to its summer audience. It's part of a package — teamed with "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof," "Arsenic and Old Lace" and "The Fantasticks."

The opening-weekend production would seem to be tipping its hat to the days following the Depression — crime-free New York City streets, a slower-paced lifestyle, holidays with fireworks and trips to the Adirondacks. The only thing wrong with that affectionate nod is that the slower-paced lifestyle presents itself a bit too slow.

This production needs a metronome. Before the play has finished its summer run, director Vosco Call will likely be able to whittle five minutes off the running time just by trimming out some dead space and urging actors to jump on the back of each other's lines.

A wonderful, colorful and just-busy-enough set provides the backdrop for a collection of oddballs who live in the Vanderhof home, circa mid-1930s. Like peeling back layers of an onion, the audience is introduced to this house full of characters and their idiosyncrasies, including mother Penelope Sycamore (Keri Larsen), who writes plays because a typewriter was misdelivered to their home; daughter Essie (Hollie Campbell), who has been taking dance lessons for eight years, to little avail; Mr. DePinna (W. Lee Daily), a fireworks maker who lives in the basement; father Paul (Corey Ewan); son-in-law Ed (Tyson Smith) and daughter Alice (Megan Walker), who, as luck would have it, is the only "normal" one of the bunch.

Oh, and let's not forget Grandpa Vanderhof, played by visiting Actor's Equity artist Bart Williams, around whom the play revolves. Williams and Daily prove to be the strongest elements. Williams has a richness and cadence to his voice that envelops the audience. The fact that he is to be seen in three of the four OLRC Americana pieces this summer can only warm patrons' hearts.

Daily also delights, just by walking onstage. This OLRC veteran is perfectly at ease in his character and projects perfectly to every row of the grand Old Lyric Theatre.

Larsen — who in past seasons has been much too reserved, much to ill-at-ease on stage — has her best effort to date as Penelope. Her voice and mannerisms during the parlor game scene (though the scene itself plods a bit) are examples of her improvement.