Second Chance – Review by Bonnie Goldberg

Parents spend a lifetime helping to guide and nourish their offspring from new born baby to fully grown adults. They never stop caring and insinuating their advice, whether welcomed or not. What happens, however, when the bassinet is turned and the child becomes the keeper of the reins, the one who wants and needs to call the shots, when the parent is in need of help. How resistant or accepting will the parent be to receiving advice from the child. If the parent is a cantankerous and opinionated Jack Korman, the ruler of his own destiny for seventy seven years, he will be resentful of any guidance his son Larry has to offer.

To witness the contretemps that blossom between the two men, mosey on over to the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury to see whose side you’ll take in Mike Vogel’s comedy “Second Chance” until Sunday, April 29. Larry feels his dad needs to make changes in his living arrangements. After living for fifty years in the same apartment and being widowed for some time, Jack is set in his ways. He lives for the Yankees and resents Larry interfering in his life style. Paul D’Amato’s Jack has no desire to change any thing, especially not to move into an assisted living facility. Jack Lafferty’s Larry is equally determined that his dad will change his residence and tricks him into agreeing to try out the new facility for a week.

Enter Marina Re’s Violet a spunky and sassy Welcoming Committee who literally sweeps Jack onto the dance floor and agreeing to move over in bed. With a ratio of 4 to 1, Jack is quickly in hot demand, much to the dismay of Warren Kelley’s Chet who deeply resents the new competition. Amanda Kristin Nichols’ Malka is a young nurse in the building who also has unique services to offer the newly arrived resident. Soon Jack is ready to admit he might have been wrong about relocating but lots of complications arise to make this a rocky road of decisions. Russell Treyz directs this foray into retirement life that ventures onto rough seas before it can level off into smooth sailing.

For tickets ($42-58), call Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or online at www.sevenangelstheatre.org. Performances are Thursday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Watch how a feeding frenzy of women setting their sights on newcomer Jack help him adjust to his new surroundings and make his transition to retirement life all the easier and more fun. Soon Jack is hitting his own homeruns, without any help from his beloved Yankees.