The Nance *** (PG-13) Fans of Nathan Lane should take note of a limited chance to see him at the top of his versatile game. Landmark Theatres will be showing this filmed version of a stage performance only on 7/16 and 7/20. The play is set in 1930s New York. Lane is a burlesque comic, facing not only the usual career challenges, but a politically-driven assault on gay activity both on and off the stage. He picks up a young lover who turns into far more of a partner than he’d intended. Lane maintains his Conservative Republican allegiance, even as they’re the ones persecuting him for his campy act (hence, the title) and the private life he tries to conceal.
The comedy and musical sides of this production are delightful, with all the cornball puns and wisecracks working beautifully as delivered by Lane and a talented cast of fellow performers in the struggling theater company. Comparisons to present-day repressive forces are hammered home by an overly turgid ration of melodrama to the levity. Both are suitable; it’s the balance that drags down the experience, especially in the second act.
Who cares? This gives us Nathan Lane doing his shtick. We don’t get many chances to enjoy that in the Heartland. And that’s worth the price of the ticket. (7/16/18)