April 7, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Andy Garcia Stars in “Key Largo” on Stage at The Geffen Playhouse

The first time I saw Andy Garcia was in “The Untouchables” I was mesmerized by his acting and powerful on-screen presence. I made a note to myself that he was a young actor destined to become a major movie star and, indeed, he has. With dozens of movie credits going back to 1984, there are too many to list but here are a few of my favorites: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Book Club, Kill the Messenger, Rob The Mob, At Middleton, City Island, Ocean’s Twelve( and Thirteen,) Smokin’Aces, When a Man Loves a Woman, The Godfather, Part III, and Internal Affairs. So, it was with great anticipation that I was going to cover Jeffrey Hatcher and Garcia’s adaption of the 1948 film noir version of Key Largo starring the incomparable team of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, as well as super bad guy, Edward G. Robinson. It was directed by John Huston, who changed the original story of Maxwell Anderson’s 1939 play, which centered around the Spanish Civil War. 

Presented by the Geffen Playhouse, Warner Brothers Theatre Ventures, in association with Frank Mancuso, and Andy Garcia, there is nothing overtly wrong with the play. The casting is excellent, beginning with Garcia in the lead role of Johnny Rocco, a bad guy who was deported to Italy for a year and a day, but sneaked back to America via Cuba and was now running a drug cartel. Played out on set designer John Lee Beatty’s sprawling, incredibly detailed period set of the hotel lobby, which was perfect for the ensuing unfolding drama. The hotel is closed for the winter and is occupied by caretakers blind Mr. D’Alcala (Tony Plana) and his widowed daughter-in-law, Nora D’Alcala (Rose McIver). While a full-blown hurricane is brewing, the hotel has been taken over by Rocco and his gang. 

Curly (Louis Mustillo) and Toots (Stephen Borrello) are the boss’s henchman who keep Nora and Mr. D’Alcala at bay. Also present, is Gaye Dawn, Rocco’s girlfriend exquisitely played by Joely Fisher. Gaye is a former entertainer but has turned into lush and is treated very poorly by Rocco. She gives one of the best, heart breaking performances of the evening when Rocco forces her to sing for a drink that she desperately needs. 

Rounding out the cast is the very talented Danny Pino as the troubled, brooding Frank McCloud who was a captain during World War II and has been traveling around the country to talk to parents of soldiers killed in combat. Mr. D’Alcala’s son served under McCloud’s command but made a decision to counter his captain’s orders, which had tragic results. We don’t exactly know what’s wrong with McCloud as Pino keeps that sub-text well under wraps. Now, what would a town be like without a sheriff? Well, Richard Riehle does an okay job as the corrupt Sheriff Gash who has no compunctions about taking a bribe here and there. Finally there’s the character of Ziggy, well played by Bradley Snedeker, who brings a bit of much needed levity to the proceedings. This snappy, handsome dude is a drug dealer who drives down to Key Largo during the raging hurricane for a drug buy from Rocco. Carrying a suitcase filled with money, on seeing the young Nora and blind Mr. D’Alcala quips, “Is this the new gang? They look pretty tough.” Let’s just say there’s an unexpected twist to the quarter-of-a-million dollar cocaine transaction. 

Joely Fisher as the suffering Gaye Dawn and Danny Pino as Captain Frank McCloud.

There are confrontations between McCloud and Rocco, which included pistols and an undeveloped relationship between McCloud and Nora to whom Rocco has taken a fancy. Rocco, with all his bluster, is actually afraid of thunder, which could tarnish his tough-guy image just a bit, and makes him human instead of a cliché characterization of an Italian gangster. Mahem ensues and there’s lots of unconvincing shooting. All this action takes place during an increase in the hurricane’s ferocity, beautifully replicated by Alex Hawthorn’s thunderous sound effects, including the sound of a buoy being tossed around in the water or hearing thunder or seeing the pouring rain through a window and the skylight. Peter Kaczorowski’s lighting design, and Linda Cho’s costumes, especially those nifty suits in which she dressed Garcia, are both outstanding. Rounding out the excellent production values are Kaitlyn Pietras and Jason H. Thompson’s projection designs, and Arturo Sandoval’s music, all working together for a satisfying audio-visual experience.

Again, there is nothing terribly wrong with this production. All the technical elements are outstanding, as well as a highly professional cast, but Doug Hughes’ direction left a number of dead spots both in some of the stagnant blocking and uneven pacing. There are no particularly strong highs or lows but all this said, seeing Andy Garcia, Danny Pino, and Joely Fisher deliver strong performances makes this re-imagined production of Key Largo just a tad short of spectacular, but definitely worth a trip to The Geffen Playhouse.

Gil Cates Theater

The Geffen Playhouse

10886 Le Conte Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90024

Run: 

Tuesday – Friday: 8:00pm 

Saturday:  3:00pm: & 8:00pm 

Sunday:   2:00pm: & 7:00pm

Closing:   December May 10, 2019

Tickets:   $30-$145

310.208.5454 or

www.geffenplayhouse.com

Box Office Rush Tickets: 30 minutes before curtain 

$35.00 General/$15.00 Student

in News
Related Posts

The BW in Brentwood Sells for $744K Per Unit, Sets New LA Benchmark

April 6, 2025

April 6, 2025

LA’s Priciest Apartment Deal in Years Just Closed in Brentwood Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap,...

Genghis Cohen Leaving Fairfax Home After Four Decades

April 6, 2025

April 6, 2025

Chinese Food & Music Spot Genghis Cohen Is on the Move After more than four decades of serving New York-style...

Iconic Studio’s Departure Leaves Century City Facing Major Real Estate Shift

April 6, 2025

April 6, 2025

Once a Stable Real Estate Base, Century City Now Faces Renewed Uncertainty Century City, long considered a rare stronghold in...

Los Angeles Housing Department Ill-Equipped to Enforce Tenant Harassment Law

April 6, 2025

April 6, 2025

Thousands of Angelenos Report Harassment, Few Landlords Face Penalties A recent audit by the Los Angeles City Controller has found...

LAHSA CEO Resigns Amid Shift to New County-Led Homeless Department

April 6, 2025

April 6, 2025

LA Homeless Services Leader Resigns After Accountability Crisis The head of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has stepped down...

WeHo Pride Will Begin with Harvey Milk Day Celebration and José Sarria Drag Pageant

April 4, 2025

April 4, 2025

West Hollywood to Honor LGBTQ+ Icons at Pride Kickoff Event The City of West Hollywood will kick off its WeHo...

Suspect Arrested and Charged in March 27 Hit-and-Run Death

April 4, 2025

April 4, 2025

The Victim Was on the Way to His Job at the Beverly Hills Hotel  A 20-year-old man has been arrested...

LAPD to Conduct DUI Checkpoints and Saturation Patrols Across L.A. This Weekend

April 4, 2025

April 4, 2025

Checkpoints and Saturation Patrols Target High-Risk Areas, Come With High Penalties The Los Angeles Police Department will conduct a series...

(Video) Adorn Your Home With Plants and Pottery from Urban Jungle

April 4, 2025

April 4, 2025

Go To Urbanjungleplantsandpottery.com For More Info Go To https://t.co/feBSQqsNTn For More Info pic.twitter.com/1TVjkCYdmv — CCNewsLA (@CCWNNews) April 4, 2025

Join UCLA’s Innovative Memory Research Study!

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Are you ready to contribute to groundbreaking research and help shape the future of memory treatments? Do you sometimes find...

Coming Soon: Easter Extravaganza at Regent Santa Monica Beach

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Book your Delectable Brunch, Easter Festivities This Easter, step into a world of celebration and refined delight at Regent Santa Monica Beach....

Scoop Dreams Come True: Van Leeuwen Launches New Beverly Hills Shop

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Van Leeuwen’s Beverly Hills Opening Comes With Sweet Perks Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, a New York City-born brand celebrated for...

WeHo’s WeHappy Wednesdays Serve Up Big Discounts In Addition to Zero Parking Fees

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Free Parking and $5 Cocktails? WeHo Makes Wednesdays Worth It The City of West Hollywood and the West Hollywood Chamber...

Saijo Hand Roll Rolls into Culver City with Premium Japanese Ingredients

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Binchotan-Fired Perfection: Saijo Rolls Out Premium Sushi in West LA A new destination for hand rolls and Japanese culinary craftsmanship...

(Video) Check Out Bernie’s, a New Pop Up at Citizen Public Market in Culver City

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Made with fresh frozen fruit and a toasted merengue topping these flavors are irresistible. The pop up will be at...