Regional
The Lion in Winter
(Pasadena Playhouse; 680 seats; $33.50 top)
Henry II - Tom Troupe
Alais - Jennifer Aspen
John - Gordon Greenberg
Geoffrey - Jay Underwood
Richard - Maury Ginsberg
Eleanor - Carole Cook
Philip - James Calvert
The play, which was produced on Broadway in 1966 and became the well-known ' 68 film with Katharine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole, holds up quite well, thanks to Goldman's zinging dialogue and the timeless subject.
Set in Chinon, France, in 1183, when "dysfunctional" royal families not only made each other's lives miserable but sent armies after their relatives' domains , Goldman's story still has a very contemporary spin.
As Henry II (Tom Troupe) grants his estranged and imprisoned wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Carole Cook), a brief Christmas parole, he must also come to terms with his messy succession in the form of his three sons: Richard (Maury Ginsberg), Geoffrey (Jay Underwood) and John (Gordon Greenberg).
Henry also has to figure out what the future holds for his mistress, Alais (Jennifer Aspen), and deal with Philip (James Calvert), the visiting King of France.
It is a comic handful, which Goldman peppers with one-liners, crowned by Eleanor's immortal quip on this bloody family feud that changed the course of European history --"Every family has its ups and downs."
In this production, an eclectic mix of actors and acting styles makes for an offbeat, curiously beguiling approach to the play. Troupe is vigorous and earthy as Henry, so thoroughly contemporary that he could be the owner of an auto parts shop trying to decide which son gets the business.
Cook, on the other hand, is ethereal and Southern, like an aging belle who must reluctantly deal with her riffraff husband and no-good children. It's an odd but intriguing pairing (especially considering that Troupe and Cook have been married to each other for 30 years).
Other performances are good, with particular verve from Greenberg as Prince John. Direction by David Galligan is straightforward, with simple if staid scenic design by Gary Wissmann and costume design by Zoe DuFour and Dawna Oak.
Sets, Gary Wissman; lighting, Kevin Mahan; sound design, Frederick W. Boot; costumes, Zoe DuFour, Dawna Oak. Opened, reviewed Nov. 13, 1994; runs through Dec. 18. Running time: 2 hours.
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