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Rebecca Northan Hilarious in Blind Date

At Ars Nova, New York, to Dec. 20

By: - Dec 16, 2010

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Blind Date
Created and Starring Rebecca Northan
Produced by Kevin McCollum
Ars Nova
511 West 54th Street
Through December 20, 2010

It was bitter cold on Monday night as Astrid and I walked block after frosty block to Ars Nova, way, way, way, off Broadway at 511 West 54th Street.

As luck would have it we were early and had to kill time before the lobby opened. There was a Dunkin Donuts around the corner as we defrosted over hot chocolate.

There was an unstated “this better be good” exchange between us. It had been a long day of travel from the Berkshires. Seemed like fun to start a week of New York arts with a hard to find Monday night of theatre.

When the lobby finally opened as “press” we had our hands stamped and joined the queue which eventually packed the space.

A waiter with a phony French accent arrived with the greeting ‘Bon Jour” but “Bon Soir” would have been more appropriate. He offered a tongue wetter of Chardonnay saying that there was more inside. This was followed by another man offering red. A more generous pour and no phony French.

Then she emerged. Mimi (Rebecca Northan) with that signature red clown’s nose that matched a tight dress over fishnets. There was a squiggle of red on her fluffy hair that seemed, on close examination, to have been fashioned out of something resembling pipe cleaners.

With a bit of ooo llllaaa laa she chatted up the guests waiting to enter the theatre. It immediately became so personal and intimate. Less like going to the theatre and more like being invited to a party.

We found good seats up front in the cozy theatre. Someone handed out boxes of pop corn. I made my way back to the bar for a beer. There was a cheerful throng enjoying drinks with Mimi joining in.

With a bit of flair the show started. There was Mimi at a cabaret table waiting for the Blind Date that stood her up. She chatted with us and asked if we had similar experiences?

Leaving the stage she wandered down the aisle looking for a date.

Then she announced that Nick would be her date for the evening. There was a burst of laughter and applause from the clutch of revelers around the bar. It seems that Mimi had bought him a drink before the show.

Somewhat awkwardly Nick gamely joined her on stage. Over the next 90 minutes we got to know Nick Kelly a 6”5” gawky Brit who writes “Lick of the Day” for a guitar magazine.

At first he was mostly a deer in the headlights bloke being a good sport.

The waiter appeared and offered to fill his glass. Nick insisted on a full tumbler of white wine to go along with the couple he had already knocked back. He got progressively looser and, by the time I chatted with him after the show, quite trashed.

Mimi was so quick, clever, charming and cute that I swore Nick had to be an actor. She conjured him like a rabbit out of the hat.

As the date progressed the combination of cheap wine and Mimi’s relentless charm brought out stunning revelations. Nick who is tall and attractive was rather self effacing. He was convinced that he is the most boring guy in the world and has no steady squeeze. Mimi, in asides to the ladies in the audience, stated that he is something of a catch.

Asked if he went on line for dating hookups Nick went into a monologue about how all the guys on  internet sites say that they love extreme sports like surfing and hang gliding. We learned that Nick hates sports. And museums. He finds them boring. He wondered why so many guys on the dating sites wear sun glasses.

Nick was just a guy who plays guitar and hangs with his mates.

Now and then Mimi dragged him over to the “Time Out” box. There she explained the rules of “The Play.” Or if Nick got stuck and confused he could
“Take a Break.”

During intervals of the Date now and then Mimi presented Nick with options. One of which was the drive in her car to her nearby apartment. There were some comic problems with the ersatz car, a pair of chairs. At the apartment, after a couple of “Time Outs” she invited him to join her on the couch.

First she departed to change into something more comfortable. During her absence from the stage, Nick, now really into it, started talking to the audience about his situation.

Mimi returned and asked who he was talking to? “So this is your monologue” she asked? “Not bad.”

There followed a debate about whether to kiss on the first date. How did Nick feel about that? Was it too forward and slutty of Mimi to suggest it? He slurred something about finding her attractive. They kissed. At first a little peck then she brought the house down by climbing on top of him to swap spit. My goodness.

By then we were really having fun. The audience seduced and charmed as much as Nick and Mimi. But she drew the line. This was not a sex show “Not at our prices, for that you have to pay a lot more.”

There was another Time Out and options. One was to conclude the date as is. The other, to speculate five years into the future. They opted for the future. But we won’t spoil the fun of a surprise conclusion.

After the show Nick was in good spirits. He assured me that he was absolutely not a professional actor. But he is amazingly natural on stage.

Mimi mingled after the show. But now Rebecca without the Mimi nose. Mimi is a Parisian but Rebecca is Canadian. Although the show closes this weekend she told us that she is being invited back.

Like several members of the audience we chatted with this is a show that one would enjoy seeing several times. On any given night one never knows what to expect. Isn’t that the essence of a “Blind Date?”

What a brilliant, witty and delightful show. Little wonder that, on a frigid night, the theatre was packed. The word is out for this hit show. Spurred by a nice piece in today’s Times New Yorkers are hungry for more of Rebecca Northan.

Bravo. You go girl.