The Smartest Man in the World
A world premiere musical about Albert Einstein, presented by the West Coast Jewish Theatre, is playing at the Pico Playhouse in West Los Angeles. It tends to focus on Einstein’s relationships with women with some attention given to his enormous contributions to the world.
The book, written by Russ Alben and John Sparks, does not do justice to the fine cast of performers. I found it to be written in a very mundane manner. Fortunately, the musical numbers, written by Russ Alben and Jerry Hart, are, for the most part, delightful and fitting for the characters and the story-telling. Under the direction of Herb Isaacs, the cast helps to keep the production moving and to make seeing it worthwhile.
The account of Einstein’s life is told in flashbacks as he is interviewed periodically, over a span of time, by a journalist from The Jewish Daily Forward (John Combs). Einstein (played with wit and charm by Alan Safier) tells about his life from the time of his birth, the many women in his life (Einstein was a womanizer), how distraught he was over the development of the atomic bomb, his faith (Judaism), his winning of the Nobel Prize, all the while never realizing the love felt by his loyal and long-time secretary, Helen (Dani Shear). One appealing song sung by Einstein tells us “It Isn’t Always Easy Being Einstein.” Then this song switches to “It Isn’t Always Easy Loving Einstein,” sung by three of the women in his life. In Act II, Helen sings “It Isn’t Always Easy Being Helen.” These three songs are the foundation of what it was like to know this complex man. In the end, He sings “If I had My Life to
Live Over Again.” And if he did, we wonder what would have been different.
Other members of the cast include Gail Bianchi, Terri Homberg-Olsen, Aaron Jacobs, Amy Reiss, Albert Owens, Susan Brindley and Steve Keyes. The music was arranged and is under the direction of Gerald Sternbach.
Pico Theatre
10508 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
Thurs-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m.
Continues through Sun., May 11, 2008