Pseudomonas bacteria. Foot fungus. Plantar warts. Hookworms.
These are all hazards of going barefoot in New York City parks in 2008, according to an article that ran earlier this summer in the New York Times.
But the grass is greener in Paradise.
At Rainbow Dinner Theatre's new production of Neil Simon's 1963 comedy "Barefoot in the Park," you'll contract nothing more serious than a few laugh lines and a mild case of déjà vu.
"Barefoot" tells the story of newlyweds Paul (Craig A. Smith) and Corie (Theresa Walker) Bratter, hot off their honeymoon and just moved into a fifth-floor brownstone apartment on East 48th Street. She's a free spirit. He's a button-down, just-passed-the-bar lawyer. You might wonder why these two didn't notice the wide disparity in their personalities earlier. Then again, passion can color things adorable that will look irritating later.
Smith, as the befuddled husband, is great. His physical shtick is flawless, his timing spot on. Walker, as the impulsive wife, comes off more shrill than lovable. She often wears her hair up when she should be letting it down.
The cast includes Casey Allyn (in a role shared with show director Cynthia DiSavino) as Corie's uptight mother, Ethel Banks; and the always dependable David DiSavino (in a role shared with Joe Winters) as the Bratters' eccentrically European upstairs neighbor, Victor Velasco. Added support comes from Scott Russell and John DeLancey, who play a telephone installer and deliveryman, respectively.
All the characters, except Corie and her upstairs neighbor, burst into the apartment staggering and gasping for breath every time they climb the six flights from the sidewalk. This eventually becomes more ridiculous than comic, and you want to yell at them: Pace yourselves, people!
In both acts, there are long blackouts between scenes. This is acceptable in Act 1, when the unfurnished efficiency apartment is transformed into a nicely decorated home, less so in Act 2.
"Barefoot in the Park" is a lighter-than-air show that demands a frothy, fun-loving heroine to maintain its romantic heart. Forty-five years after it opened on Broadway, the crux of this comedy remains unchanged: Is it truly a carefree experience to walk barefoot in the park when it's 17 degrees outside?
With regard to the New York Times article, it's better these days to be zany in chilly temperatures than in hot weather when viruses, worms and fungi are afoot.
"Barefoot in the Park" runs through Nov. 1 at Rainbow Dinner Theatre, 3065 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise. For tickets and showtimes, call 687-4300.
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