BUYER & CELLAR at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre

(Seen April; 22, 2013)

Jonathan Tolins has written a very informative play about the real and imagined quirks and personality of Barbra Streisand, and her strange and private shopping mall in the basement of a barn on her Malibu estate.

The basis of the play is rooted in Streisand's coffee-table book and dvd, MY PASSION FOR DESIGN, which is replete with photographs of the various stores and their merchandise, all from Streisand's personal accumulation of "stuff".  Although she is the only shopper in this little village, she does have a salesman/storekeeper to tend to her shops.

Tolins has taken off from this premise, and brought us into the dark life of a young actor who takes on the actual job of that storekeeper.  He has written a funny, satirical vehicle for Michael Urie, who plays all the roles with great joy and wonderment.  It is briskly directed by Stephen Brackett.

My only small problem with this totally entertaining show is that whenever we might achieve a meaningful "moment" on stage, Urie (or Tolins or Brackett) goes for the joke.  They get the laughs every time --- but it would have been nice to occasionally savor the emotional moment.