Loudly Mismatching on Broadway

Before the curtain even rises, Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park sets itself up to be some sort of bizarre-perhaps too much so-blast from the past. Petula Clark's widely recognizable song "Downtown" fills the theatre, letting you know just what you're in for, for better or for worse.

Reviving such a charming comedy with a starry cast sounds promising. Headlined by Amanda Peet, Barefoot also features rising star Patrick Wilson and veteran actors Tony Roberts and Jill Clayburgh. Though three of the four stars handle their material with finesse and excellence, the actors' star quality does not salvage the show.

Wilson makes a shining return to Broadway as Paul Bratter, uptight lawyer and newlywed. Known and loved for his charisma, Wilson displays yet another facet of his extensive versatility by handling Paul's blunt sarcasm with honesty and a brilliant comedic flair. Wilson continues to display a magnetic star quality after several years away from the stage, making him perhaps this production's biggest asset. Barefoot may be too trite to do justice to Wilson's abilities, but he has the most to work with, and this is his show.

Peet plays his quirky, air-headed wife, Corrie-an impulsive but sweet young woman with a less-than contagious zest for life. But there is nothing sweet about her almost childish performance, which is plagued with strange yelling. While Corrie is supposed to be somewhat childish, she is not so much so that the trait becomes debilitating to the performance-or at least to that of an actress up to the task. Peet's line readings fall flat, and are frightfully amateur.

Clayburgh and Roberts both turn in performances worthy of praise. Clayburg delivers scene-stealing comedy as Corrie's mother, and Roberts exudes wonderful warmth as the Bratters' eccentric-yet lovable-upstairs neighbor, Victor Belasco.

Simon's dated script, though linguistically lost to the 60s, is laden with laughs. Perhaps it's even funnier because it's dated. Designer Derek McLane's set, however, does nothing to assist the period placement. His color scheme of greens, blues, and rusty oranges, while perhaps accurate, is comprised of dizzying patterns-entirely too distracting, and even slightly painful on the eyes.

For all of the minor troubles with the production, much of the major trouble lies within the material itself. Importance is placed upon developing a plot with motivation and movement that can stand alone in a two-and-a-half hour block of time but that also feels relevant, two qualities which Barefoot seems to be lacking. Its plot, aside from being dated, is predictable and almost entirely stagnant. It is very slow to develop into anything worth paying much attention to.

Ultimately, Barefoot will probably turn out to be a crowd-pleaser, between its sweet comedy and nostalgia inducing atmosphere for what will probably turn out to be its targeted audience. Where the laughter outweighs the boredom, Barefoot is likable, light fun.