Simon Season

Things seem to happen in cycles on the local theater scene. Just as two shows with Cole Porter in common recently opened on the same weekend in Ventura and Thousand Oaks without any sort of mutual organization--or even recognition--Neil Simon season is now upon us, with productions of Simon’s plays due to open in Ojai (“God’s Favorite” this weekend), Simi Valley (“The Star-Spangled Girl” next month) and Camarillo (“I Ought to Be in Pictures” in June) thus far announced.

One can only imagine these groups getting together and staging a Neil Simon festival . . . nah, too obvious.

The Simon season began with the Elite Theatre Company’s rendition of “The Gingerbread Lady,” directed by Simon aficionado Don Pearlman, which opened a couple of weeks ago. Simon regards the show as a serious play, although it’s stocked with amusing characters and riddled with funny lines.

Evy Meara, a formerly successful nightclub chanteuse, has just come home from several weeks in a “rest home for drunks,” to be greeted by her friends, each with problems of his or her own: Toby is a lifelong beauty who fears she’s losing what she sees as her only asset as age encroaches; Jimmy is an actor whose career, never much, seems to be in regression; and Evy’s daughter, Polly, has to cope with her mother and the usual ravages that come with being a teenager.

The first act is a fairly typical Simon comedy (though this is one of those in which someone clearly patterned after him isn’t the leading character), the second adds pressure to the mutual relationships and the third (here played as the second act’s second scene) brings everything to some sort of conclusion, notable mainly for giving the actress who plays Toby a big scene.

Although casting is always important, “The Gingerbread Lady” calls for a big Evy: a woman who can be appealing enough that the audience doesn’t want to walk out on her (as her friends do) when she begins to backslide. Cynthia Cynko Zipser is more than up to the role. Strong supporting performances are given by Ron Ford as Jimmy; Brittany Dethlefsen as Polly; and Melanie McGuire as Toby. Also appearing, and fine, are Bob Decker as Evy’s detestable former romantic interest (no wonder she drank!) and Francisco Segura as a delivery boy.

Originally produced in 1970, “The Gingerbread Lady” hasn’t dated as badly as some of Simon’s plays, and a few attempts to update references (“Paul Newman” is now “Richard Gere,” for instance) don’t jar.

DETAILS

“The Gingerbread Lady” continues Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday (including Easter) at 2 p.m. through May 13 at the Petit Playhouse, 730 South B St. in Oxnard’s Heritage Square. Tickets are $12; $10 seniors. This show is not recommended for children. For reservations or further information, call 483-5118.

*

*

Neil Simon had nothing to do with “My Fair Lady,” which opened last weekend at the Camarillo Community Theatre, which might explain why nobody in the musical is going through some sort of midlife crisis.

The production, directed by Adrea Gibbs with Paul Fagundes as musical director, is very strong in all the places it needs to be strong: Damian Gravino (his shoulder-length hair cropped for the occasion) is a terrific Henry Higgins; Christi Carter is a fine, if unconventional, Eliza Dolittle; and Ken Jones is a worthy Col. Pickering. Jeff Rack’s set design is magnificent; and the costumes, credited to Pam Pedler, are opulent.

Musical accompaniment is prerecorded, which gives the show something of a karaoke feeling, though the orchestra is certainly full-sounding and in tune; some of the supporting performances are a little less powerful than they might be; and too many early scenes are played in front of the curtain.

In the second act, the curtain remains up, and the audience just has to imagine that they’re no longer in Higgins’ study; oddly, that approach looks less cheesy.

This is a great show for adults and all the way down to younger teens, though its more than three-hour running time should discourage parents from bringing small children.

DETAILS

“My Fair Lady” continues Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday, including Easter, at 2 p.m. through May 28 at the Camarillo Community Theater, 330 Skyway Drive on the Camarillo Airport grounds. Tickets for all performances are $12; $10 seniors, students and active military; $8 ages 11 and under. For reservations or further information, call 388-5716.

Todd Everett can be reached at teverett@concentric.net.