‘The Love Boat’ stars reunite onstage for Redhouse play
On Saturday, the Redhouse Arts Center buzzed with energy as local actors lined up in the lobby to audition for next year’s main stage season. Meanwhile, in a small rehearsal room nearby, two veteran television actors rehearsed for the theater’s next play.
Known for their roles in the 1970s sitcom “The Love Boat,” Fred Grandy and Ted Lange have reunited to star in Redhouse’s production of “I’m Not Rappaport,” opening on March 15.
The play, written by Herb Gardner, tells the story of two men as they face the realities of aging. Grandy and Lange star as Nat Moyer and Midge Carter, respectively, who spend their days on a Central Park bench in New York City, conversing — and oftentimes, bickering — as they grow older while refusing to grow up.
For Grandy, “I’m Not Rappaport” addresses what it’s like to grow older better than any other play he’s read before. He said the story hits home, since he’s now closer in age to the character of Moyer than actor Judd Hirsch was when he played the character on Broadway in the 1980s.
Fred Grandy, who plays Nat Moyer, is returning to the Redhouse after starring in “On Golden Pond” last year. Olivia Gormley | Staff Photograpgher
Vincent Cardinal, the director of the show, said he also relates to the themes of the play. As someone who has dealt with the challenges that having aging parents bring, Cardinal said the show is “very real” for audiences.
“I think that there’s truth in the progression of family and age that this captures in an incredibly charming, hopeful way, but realistically,” Cardinal said.
The play’s script balances the serious discussions of aging and caregiving with humorous moments — something that is no challenge for Grandy and Lange.
The duo discovered they still had their comedic spark after doing a read through of the play in Los Angeles, where Lange writes, directs, produces and performs theater nowadays. After doing a read with a few friends, Lange said he and Grandy instantly fell back into their rhythm.
“If you have chemistry, you have chemistry. If you don’t have it, you don’t,” Lange said. “Camera’s not going to help you, the stage you can’t hide.”
Their chemistry and lifelong friendship fosters a fun and productive rehearsal atmosphere, Cardinal said. After just one rehearsal, he said having two actors who were “the duo” on television for so many years is paying off on stage.
“Not everybody has 10 years on national television working together to make it work,” Cardinal said. “I think this is magic, and you need the magic to make it work.”
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Samara Hannah, the executive director of the Redhouse Arts Center, said the cast’s chemistry is a treasure that will bring the show to a new, rare level. She believes the performance is one that will be talked about for years to come.
During their tenure on “The Love Boat,” the duo worked with nearly “every famous vaudevillian and burlesque comedian,” Grandy said, such as Jack Gilford, Red Buttons, Milton Berle, Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett. After reading “I’m Not Rappaport,” Grandy thought his experiences with these performers would be helpful for his current role.
“And so consequently, those cadences, those comic inflections were ingrained in us,” Grandy said. “After a while, that rubs off. I mean you don’t necessarily have to grow up on the Lower East Side of New York to get all of that infused.”
The idea to present “I’m Not Rappaport” at the Redhouse came from Grandy himself, when he proposed the idea to Cardinal after working together during “On Golden Pond” last year. Grandy then called Lange to see if he’d be on board.
Lange “definitely” wanted to do the show — the only issue, he said, was figuring out when was the best time.
“And I said, ‘Fred, I’d love to do this as long as it’s not in the winter in New York,” Lange joked, as the rehearsal room bubbled with laughter.
