In Reilly’s Stories, It’s a Long but Wonderful ‘Life’

Even though he’s getting on in years, Charles Nelson Reilly has weathered the decades with twinkle intact. Sharp. Spry. Funny. Effusive. Those adjectives still come to mind when watching “Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly,” his autobiographical solo show at the Falcon Theatre.

Frequently enthralling? Yes. Selective? Not a chance. Reilly traces his life from the Bronx to Broadway and beyond in his rags-to-residuals story. But with his storm of reminiscence clocking in at a hefty two and three quarters hours, Reilly has forgotten a crucial detail: He’s not Winston Churchill.

He is, however, a respected director, most notably of one-person shows such as “The Belle of Amherst,” starring Julie Harris; “My One Good Nerve” with Ruby Dee; and the “Time Trilogy,” featuring Paul Linke, who directs this production.

It’s fitting that Reilly now takes his own stab at the genre. Even though his life hardly justifies such an epic treatment, it has been undeniably eventful. As ubiquitous as Zelig, and with more personality, Reilly has apparently been everywhere and met everyone twice. That famous big top fire in 1946? Reilly was there. Uta Hagen’s first acting class at the Herbert Berghof Studios? Read the roster.

Reilly was the only child of a henpecked father and a verbally abusive mother whom his pal Shirley Booth described as “the worst woman I have ever known in my life.” With a special emphasis on his own Mommy Dearest, Reilly vividly depicts his gothic and peculiar family, including the aunt who gets a lobotomy as an arthritis cure, and the uncle who hangs out at funeral homes for fun.

With this kind of eccentric personal detail, Reilly can be hilarious. It’s when he turns sycophantic that he gets into trouble. From Mae West to Burt Reynolds to Chita Rivera--they’re all here, and they’re all Reilly’s best buddies. It’s not surprising that this witty man has such a widespread circle of loyal famous friends, but one gets the feeling that Reilly included such a slew of notables for fear that they’d be offended if left out. Or perhaps wily Reilly is merely trumping up some business. If half the stars mentioned in the show actually attended it, this would be a sell-out run.

Reilly possesses a wealth of gossip and the kind of anecdotes entertainment biographers would kill for. Still, many of his stories are tangential and this production should be drastically trimmed. Why Reilly didn’t make those necessary edits after his Florida run last summer is as mysterious as it is frustrating. Buckle down, Reilly. Don’t save it all for the stage.

* “Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly,” Falcon Theatre, 4252 Riverside Drive, Burbank. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3:30 p.m. Ends Aug. 27. Dark July 20-23. $30. (818) 955-8101. Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes.