Harvey at the Grand Theatre

Last night I had the opportunity to see a delightful production of Harvey at the Grand Theatre.  I was especially excited for this play because I had never seen it, or the movie adaptation starring Jimmy Stewart, before and I was very pleasantly surprised by how moving I found it!  A social climber named Veta Louise Simmons (Kristin Housley) is exasperated when her brother, Elwood P. Dowd (Roger Dunbar), interrupts one of her gatherings by introducing his imaginary friend Harvey, a six foot one-and-a-half inch tall white rabbit, to her high society guests.  Veta is humiliated by his behavior, and what it might mean for her daughter Myrtle Mae (Niki Rahimi) and her chances for an advantageous marriage, so she makes the drastic decision to have him committed to a sanitariam called Chumley's Rest.  However, when Veta attempts to explain the existence of Harvey to Dr. Sanderson (Aron Cain), he mistakenly assumes that she is the one who needs to be committed.  Hijinks ensue when everyone, including Dr. Harold Chumley (Mickey Goldstein), the orderly Duane Wilson (Robert A. Easton), Nurse Ruth Kelly (Angie Nicole), and Veta's lawyer Judge Omar Gaffney (Jeffrey Owen), tries to determine who is really crazy!  In the end, Veta realizes that Elwood is a kind man and that she doesn't want to change him even if it means living with Harvey!  I really loved the message about the importance of kindness, which seems particularly salient in these times, and Dunbar is fantastic as Elwood because he exudes warmth and charm in every scene even when all of the other characters are caught up in the chaos.  Housley is also a lot of fun to watch, especially when Veta becomes hilariously overwrought on Dr. Sanderson's fainting couch!  Speaking of which, the elaborate sets consisting of the wood paneled library in the old Dowd family mansion and the reception room of Chumley's Rest are quite impressive.  There is a fun bit of business involving a maid (Teresa McLeod) as the sets are changed from one to the other that is very effective as well as some great special effects that make the invisible Harvey an actual presence on stage (I especially liked his inclusion during the bows).  This heart-warming show put a huge smile on my face and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets).