I wish I could see every show like “The Last Romance.”
The perfectly paced play, written by Joe DiPietro, tells the story of Ralph, an elderly man who loves the opera, and Carol, a lonely chihuahua owner, meeting at a dog park. Ralph, who lives with his sister Rose, courts Carol, in an authentic, somewhat awkward, old man fashion.
The show itself is not a spectacle – it is a soft, intimate slow burn. It’s about how special it is to simply be noticed.
The performance made me want to stop every couple that I saw holding hands, walking toward the parking lot, and ask them their story.
Director Mark Reynolds and set designer Shelley Barish took amazing creative liberties with this set. Choices like having dogs bark via surround sound and using patterned spotlights as sunbeams really made the scenes sparkle.
The play features four unique actors who carry the show. The plot, at face value, doesn’t necessarily have you at the edge of your seat, but these four characters do.
Mary P. Williams was beautiful as Carol. Her subtle, realistic facial expressions lit up the stage, her body language told its own story – and she was excellently costumed.
Richard Daniel knew exactly how to make a bold, occasionally offbeat character like Ralph charming; make him someone to root for. You truly understand him by the end of the show, which is assisted by the symbolic young Ralph, played by Nick Capodilupo. He gives the show an unexpected musical motif that makes you feel for the leading man even more deeply.
Dori May Ganisin as Rose had the charisma of a quotable, fan favorite sitcom character. Even with her own side plot to carry, the audience both laughed and wept with her.
Most relationships portrayed in modern media are full of crazy ups and downs; are sexed-up and high stakes. This show had me crying over two people holding hands for the first time.
It warms my heart to think of stories like this as real things. Somewhere out there, two people are simply enjoying each other’s company at a local park.
