Big Night Brings Comedy and Tragedy to Culver City

Paul Rudnick’s new comedy, Big Night, includes many themes but unfortunately few are resolved or given enough dialogue to move past a series of endless character monologues.

The play opens with Michael (Brian Hutchinson), a gay actor who has paid his dues and Cary (Max Jenkins), his new young gay agent, prepping for the Oscars in a posh Beverly Hills hotel room full of gift baskets and champagne.

Michael is up for the Best Supporting Actor award, but before he can leave a series of guests with varying requests and news visit his room.

First to appear is Eddie (Tom Phelan), Michael’s transgender nephew who requests that Michael turn his acceptance speech (if he wins over Matt Damon) into a statement about Hollywood’s abuse of the LGBTQ community.

Next Michael’s Jewish mother, Esther (Wendy Malick) shows up with her new lover Eleanor (Kecia Lewis), an African American Pulitzer Prize winning professor.

The comedy becomes more serious when Michael’s partner Austin (Luke Macfarlane) arrives late due to a mass shooting at the local LGBTQ center where Eddie often volunteers.

The second half of the play brings more monologues without much meaning on a wide variety of topics including religion, sexual orientation, ethnic stereotyping, violence and fame. This makes the 90 minute without intermission running time feel longer.

Rudnick and the actors are very successful at funny quips and short clever banter but the comedy drags when serious topics are brought up in monologues that don’t go anywhere.

More witty one-liners and less meandering monologues would have made Big Night a bigger success.

Big Night runs through October 8 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, 8 pm Tuesdays – Fridays, 2 and 8 pm Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 pm Sundays. Tickets $25 to $75 at www.centertheatregroup.org.