Theater Review : Castaways Keep ‘Gilligan’ Afloat

They don’t make sitcoms like “Gilligan’s Island” anymore.

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There is a reason, and it’s aptly demonstrated by “Gilligan’s Island: The Musical,” now in its West Coast premiere at The Theatre in Old Town.

It’s just, well, goofy. Silly. A comic version of “No Exit” mixed with a child’s-eye view of the American melting pot. From 1964 to ‘67, while the country was tearing itself apart over the Vietnam War, seven castaways from varied walks of life--rich, poor, stupid, smart, sexy and naive--spent 99 episodes sparring, bonding and trying to get off a desert island.

In all that time their hair never got mussed, their clothes (particularly the evening gowns) never showed wear, their grass huts appeared as if by magic, and the makeup, the food and the jokes never ran out.

For those of you who were on a desert island for those years, the castaways are, as the sitcom’s theme-song goes: “Gilligan, the Skipper, too / The Millionaire, and His Wife / The Movie Star / The Professor and Mary Ann.”

If you are a “Gilligan’s Island” fan or simply want to relive a slice of Americana, you are in luck. The production and performances at The Theatre in Old Town couldn’t be sharper.

Copies of the “Gilligan’s Island” cookbook, written by Dawn Wells, the original Mary Ann, are being sold in the lobby. And series creator Sherwood Schwartz, who hopes to take this show off-Broadway, also is reportedly at work on “Gilligan’s Island: The Movie.”

If, however, you never worshiped at the Gilligan shrine, this won’t convert you. Despite some mild attempts at self-parody, it is ultimately an affectionate re-creation of a simple show with new but simple songs (by Laurence Juber, a former lead guitarist of Paul McCartney’s band Wings, and his wife, Hope, who also happens to be Schwartz’s daughter).

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The whole thing is held together by a simple view of humor--the comedy of opposites with the requisite stupid jokes, rich jokes, egghead jokes, sexpot jokes, each directed at the appropriate one-note character.

Schwartz wrote the book with his son and frequent collaborator, Lloyd J. Schwartz. It’s essentially a two-hour Gilligan episode complete with a creature from outer space.

While their strong presence can be felt here (they and their fellow collaborators all attended opening night), much credit for the silky smoothness of the show goes to the deft hand of director Paula Kalustian.

Kalustian, the artistic director of The Theatre in Old Town, elicits picture-perfect performances from her Equity cast, which doesn’t have a weak link.

As millionaire Thurston Howell III, company regular Steve Anthony, who did the witty choreography with wife Jill K. Anthony, has the mannerisms of his TV series predecessor, Jim Backus, down pat. He and Ginger Prince as Mrs. Howell, milk the Juber song “It’s Good to Be Rich” for every comic nuance.

Colleen Sudduth oozes sex as Ginger in “Natural Phenomenon,” drawing out a truly inspired reaction from Tom Hafner, who gets his own brilliant comic solo as the Professor with “The Professor’s Lament.”

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Grant Rosen offers some first-rate physical stumbling as the hapless Gilligan. Paul James Kruse provides a strong voice and comic foil as Skipper. Tracy Venner, a big voice in a little body, bears the same cross as the original Mary Ann--always the straight man, never the comic--but handles it with sweet grace.

The set design by Nick Reid--painted cutout palms, plastic jungle leaves and the inevitable “Hut Sweet Hut” fit the mood perfectly. The bright, bold and basic costume designs by Ardith Gray similarly evoke those in the original. And Terry O’Donnell’s musical direction does about as well as it can with the limitations of the score.

Can “Gilligan’s Island: The Musical” make it in New York? Probably not if you depend on the kindness of New York critics. But if “Gilligan’s Island: The Musical” has a good chance at flourishing with anyone, it should be with audiences who can’t wait for the movie version of “The Flintstones.”

* “Gilligan’s Island: The Musical,” The Theatre in Old Town, 4040 Twiggs St., San Diego. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Ends June 12. $17-$24. (619) 699-2494. Running time: 2 hours. Grant Rosen: Gilligan

Paul James Kruse: Skipper

Steve Anthony: Mr. Howell

Ginger Prince: Mrs. Howell

Colleen Sudduth: Ginger

Tom Hafner: Professor

Tracy Venner: Mary Ann

Gary Howard Anderson: Alien

A Theatre in Old Town production. Book by Sherwood Schwartz and Lloyd Schwartz. Music and lyrics by Hope and Laurence Juber. Directed by Paula Kalustian. Musical direction by Terry O’Donnell. Choreography by Jill K. Anthony and Steve Anthony. Sets: Nick Reid. Lighting: R. Craig Wolf. Costumes: Ardith Gray. Sound: Stuart Holmes. Production stage manager: Jenny R. Friend. Stage manager: Lisa McLeod.