By James V. Ruocco
Bring on the laughter.
Bring on the wine.
Bring on the appetizers.
The world spins with lively, hilarious matter-of-factness in Jacques Lamarre's "Secondo," a tasty follow-up treat to his oft-performed 2012 play "I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti," which, looking back, was based entirely on Giulia Melucci's real-life 2009 comic memoir about Italian cooking, meddling mothers, dating, finding the right guy, making the perfect bowl of homemade pasta and looking for love - in and out of the kitchen.
Amusing.
Passionate.
Witty.
Relatable.
Delightful.
"I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti," simply demanded a sequel of sorts.
With "Secondo," now on view at TheaterWorks Hartford, Melucci is back in the kitchen 10 years later after saying "I do" to her British-born mate Gavin, ready to prepare a 10th Anniversary dinner prompted by complications galore, food preparation madness, endless phone calls from her mother, hilarious bouts with Alexa and the surprise reappearance of a boyfriend from her past.
Veloce, rompere la ciotola di miscelazione.
As theatrical entertainment, reveling in language and situations designed exclusively for laughter's sake, "Secondo" gallops forward with onstage warmth, lightness, surprise and breezy, inviting welcomeness.
It's cheery and good-natured.
It's the perfect tonic for our troubled times.
It's lofty and dishy.
It's genuine great fun.
It's Italian vino uncorked, poured and ready.
As penned by Lamarre, "Secondo's" observations, sentences, quotes, stories, confessions and complaints about everyday life adapt a cynical, flavorful voice that's marvelously entertaining, connected and deliciously chartered. With Melucci back in the kitchen breaking down the fourth wall to update everyone on the continuing drama, comedy and chaos in her life, the playwright fuels "Secondo" with just the right amount of sting, sauce and merriment to keep the story afloat, involved and telling without any form of hesitation or calculation. Once the play begins, Lamarre's imagination runs wild, never once losing sight of its origins, its character, its humanity, its pulse and its very amusing tableaux of conversations, memories, thoughts and ideas as Melucci prepares a savory meal timed to the beat of the story at hand. His attention to detail is done with fast and fastidious affection.
Staging "Secondo" with dutiful, front-row access and charm, director Rob Ruggiero crafts a grounded, playful domestic comedy with home-maker character, dimension, language and ambition. Here, every punchline, every line of dialogue and every instantaneous switch from laughter to sentiment is stoked with actor-audience captivation, focus and let's keep everyone in stitches amplification. No stopping. No lulls. No confusion. No interruptions. Everything that happens - scene by scene or moment to moment - unfolds with a wow, hook-line-and-sinker factor that's full-tilt, kitchen savvy and function ready.
Working from LaMarre's high-spirited, adroitly orchestrated play script, Ruggiero's theatrical candor and in-the-moment pace and move directorial evolvement keeps "Secondo" alert, alive and fleeting. For a one-woman show, there's a lot happening here (and rightly so) as Giulia takes center stage to tell her story, bare her soul, shock, surprise and titillate and oh, yes, cook a meal in real-time while running to the refrigerator, cracking eggs, making dough, spooning ricotta, boiling water, slicing cantaloupe and wrapping it in prosciutto. All of this is expertly timed, positioned and executed with Food Network precision by Ruggiero, synced perfectly to the playwright's verbiage, his shifts in mood and tone, his storytelling arcs, his developmental conceit and his sparky injection of some very funny, quick, get my pad-and-pencil ready to write down some pretty memorable quote and one-liners.
Antoinette LaVecchia who played the part of Guilia Melucci in "I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti" for TheaterWorks back in 2012, returns to the role with sparkling, inviting, intuitive definition that's etched and delivered with irresistible showmanship every step of the way.
It's an invigorating, personable solo performance well worthy of a standing ovation, which she gets following every performance at the immersive, Hartford-based venue. And why not?
Nonetheless, this is very hard work.
It's no secret that a one-person show is tough to pull off, but LaVecchia - splendid actress that she is - hits every mark with total control, personality, vibe and capability. She's funny. She's delightful. She's vulnerable. She's gabby. She's quirky. She's master chef ready. She's sexy. She's a practical joker. She's invigorating. She's silly.
Moreover, her comic timing is absolutely incredible. As actress, storyteller and chef, she never once misses a beat. She has fun. We have fun. Everything she says and does is well worth a visit to her kitchen, which here, is attractively designed with real-life atmospheric detail by Brian Prather.
The actress also connects one-on-one with the audience, a factor that, throughout the production, brings additional charm and gusto to her already proven, exhilarating performance.
A must-see comedy for any theatergoer with a penchant for kitchen culinary achievement mixed with playful doses of fun, dialogue and relationship do's and don'ts, "Secondo" is sweet-seeming, irresistible entertainment that delivers palpable pleasures from start to finish. Director Rob Ruggiero dishes up a hot plate of amusement and rightfully appropriate escapism matched by Antoinette LaVecchia's natural, lively portrayal of a woman worthy of spending 100 minutes with on any given hot summer night (or afternoon, if you prefer) - any time of the week.
Mangia! Indulgere!
Il tuo tavolo e in attesa.
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