Theater Review: Animal Crackers - Theater and Musical Production Reviews.
"The Drowsy Chaperone" demonstrated why 1920s musicals are more easily recalled to the stage as objects of affectionate ridicule than as subjects of earnest revival. The shows consisted primarily of vaudevillian skits built around the performers' specific acts, interspersed with songs barely connected to a storyline. Co-written by George S. Kaufman, "Animal Crackers" may be a better-than-usual example of its kind, but it remains a challenging show to produce in a contemporary context. Goodman Theater's well-executed revival admirably showcases the old-fashioned entertainment style and pays tribute to the Marx Brothers, even if it never quite makes a complete case for itself.
