Happy Talk

Happy Talk is playing at the Signature located at 480 West 42nd Street. It runs one hour forty minutes with no intermission. The play closes June 16, 2019.

Derek McLane is the scenic designer. He won a Tony Award for 33 Variations (2009) and was nominated for three Tony Awards for Any Thing Goes (2011), Ragtime (2010) and Pajama Game (2006).

Clint Ramos is the costume designer. He won a Tony Award for Eclipsed (2016) and was nominated Once on This Island (2016).

Susan Sarandon made her Broadway debut in An Evening with Nixon in 1972. She won an Academy Award for Dead Man Walking (1995) and was nominated for The Client (1994), Lorenzo’s Oil (1992), Thelma & Louise (1991) and Atlantic City (1980).

Marin Ireland was nominated for a Tony Award Reasons to be Pretty (2009).

Ljuba (Marin Ireland) is on the phone in the back yard.

Bill is sitting on a chair reading a book.

When Ljuba comes in a bell is ringing. She goes into the room Bills wife Lorraine (Susan Sarandon) mother is in. She is an invalid. When she comes out she tells Bill she needed her diaper changed.

Lorraine comes strolling in without a care in the world. She is playing Bloody Mary in South Pacific at the Jewish Community Center. She is not getting paid for this. Lorraine acts as she is the most important person in the cast. The cast goes for drinks on Friday and don’t invite her.

Bill has MS. He is in constant pain. It seems like he is in another world.

Ljuba is living here illegally. A friend of her married someone and gave him $30,000.00 so she could get her green card. She has $15,000.00. Lorraine says she’ll help her find someone. Ronny (Nico Santos) is in South Pacific. He is openly gay but says he’ll marry her for $15,000.00. Lorraine is plotting ways to make the relation look like it has been going on for a while.

Lights fad and when they come on Lorraine’s daughter Jenny (Tedra Millan) is sneaking in the patio door. She has a confutation with her mother; she does not want to be called Jenny. She surprises her mother by telling her she is married and are permeably moving to Costa Rico. When her father come out she gives him a hug.

When Jenny leaves Ljuba and Ronny come in. She goes to get Ronny the money. When she comes out she is screaming the money is gone. It was there two hours. Lorraine blames it on Jenny. Ronny is leaving he says call me when you get the money. Lorraine tells Ljuba you can still work here till you have the money. You get the feeling the way she is acting she doesn’t want to be alone. This is an enjoyable play. There were part I would have known more about the relationship between Lorraine mother and her daughter Jenny. It still is worth seeing.

Marin Ireland does an outstanding performance.

The set by Derek McLane and costumes by Clint Ramos were brillant.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for photos. Click on photos for this and other shows.