‘Rappaport’ makes return to Civic

“I’m Not Rappaport” is that rare article – a Tony-winning play born right here in the Northwest.

The Northwest? Doesn’t this play take place entirely on a bench in Central Park?

Yes, it may be New York-centric, but this comedy actually had its world premiere in 1984 at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. The Rep’s then-artistic director, Daniel Sullivan, developed the project with Tony-nominated playwright Herb Gardner (“A Thousand Clowns”).

I was in the audience for that first-ever performance and was impressed by the play’s social themes, its vaudevillian patter (the title comes from an old vaudeville routine) and its comic pairing of opposites: a combination of the “Odd Couple” and “The Sunshine Boys.”

It starred character-acting pros Harold Gould (“The Sting”) as Nat, the elderly Jewish socialist firebrand, and Cleavon Little (“Blazing Saddles”) as Midge, the elderly apartment superintendent who idolizes bluesman Big Joe Turner.

They spend their days in the park, trying to convince each other (and sometimes the world) that they are still worth listening to. Nat randomly shouts the word, “Strike!” in solidarity with workers everywhere, and Midge likes to wax eloquent about his hero, Turner.

I thought this play might go far, yet to my surprise, the Seattle reviewers weren’t particularly kind. They panned it. But audiences loved it and turned it into a big Seattle hit.

Commercial producers became interested and took it to New York, where it premiered off-Broadway in June 1985 and then moved to Broadway. Judd Hirsch (“Taxi”) and Little played the lead roles.

Again, the critics were unimpressed. Frank Rich of The New York Times gave the show a mixed review, calling it “an attractive production” but, more damningly, “treacly,” “clumsy” and “predictable.”

That explains why, when Gardner accepted his Tony Award for Best Play that spring, he declared it proof that “there’s life after Frank Rich.”

Lots and lots of life.

“I’m Not Rappaport” went on to 890 performances on Broadway and become one of the most successful plays of the decade. Gardner later directed a 1996 movie version starring Walter Matthau and Ossie Davis.

“Rappaport” also has proven to be a crowd-pleasing staple of regional theater, which is why it should be no surprise that the Spokane Civic Theatre has chosen it for its next Main Stage production.

Rick Hornor, the chair of the Whitworth theatre department, is the director.

Nat will be played by Ed Cornachio, who has appeared in many major roles at Interplayers and the Civic. Midge will be played by Bryan Jackson, a well-known local actor and a member of the faculty at Lewis and Clark High School.

The rest of the cast includes Jacqueline Davis, Sarah Nielsen, Dennis Ashley, Jhon Goodwin and Jordan Peterson.