WEST SPRINGFIELD — “Madness” certainly is the operative word for “Shear Madness,” Paul Portner's record-setting audience involvement and involving comedy that is opening Majestic Theater’s 2024-25 season on an exuberant, madcap note. THEATER REVIEW What: “Shear Madness” by Paul Portner. Directed by Bob Lohrmann With: Steven Sands, Elizabeth Pietrangelo, Jeff Haffner, Benita Zahn, Jack Grigoli, Michael DeVito Who: Majestic Theater Where: 131 Elm St.
, West Springfield When: Through Oct. 20 Performances: 7 p.m.
Wednesdays and Sundays; 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.
m. Saturdays and Sundays Running time: 2 hours, 19 minutes (including one intermission) Tickets: $35, 38; $36 (seniors – 65 and older; students – K-12 and college) Reservations and information: 413-747-7797; majestictheater.com Originally titled “Scherenschnitte” (“Scissor Cuts”), the play was first produced in Portner’s native Germany in 1963.
With some rewriting and a new title, “Shear Madness” made its U.S. debut in January 1980 when it opened in Boston at Charles Playhouse Stage II.
“Shear Madness” closed on March 15, 2020, after 40 years and nearly 13,000 performances. It is considered the longest running nonmusical in American theater history and has been widely produced throughout the United States and overseas. This buoyant, somewhat freewheeling, occasionally improvised, audience participation whodunit is set in a hair salon, Shear Madness, in whatever city the show is being performed.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Majestic Theater production is heavily laced with references to West Springfield, communities surrounding the city and certain personalities, political and otherwise, associated with the communities. The victim, Isabel Czerny, is a once internationally celebrated concert pianist who had an onstage meltdown during a concert in the UK. She’s never appeared in public since; living out her days in her apartment above the hair salon where she spends her days playing piano loudly and unendingly much to the irritation of the hair salon staff and its customers — until, that is, the music suddenly stops.
She is found dead; multiple stab wounds to the neck from a pair of hair cutting scissors. Actors, from left, Michael DeVito, Steven Sands and Elizabeth Pietrangelo are shown in a moment from the comedy “Shear Madness,” which kicks off the Majestic Theater’s 27th season. There is no shortage of suspects — the salon’s flamboyant chief hair stylist and manager, Tony Whitcomb (Steven Sands); his shapely gum chewing assistant, Barbara DeMarco (Elizabeth Pietrangelo); a married socialite and salon regular, Eleanor Pynchon Shubert (Benita Zahn), and an antiques dealer, Eddie Lawrence (Jack Grigoli).
Supervising the investigation are West Springfield police lieutenant Nick O’Brien (Jeff Haffner), a hulking shaved-headed figure in jeans and a New England Patriots t-shirt; and his nerdy assistant, Mikey (Michael DeVito). O’Brien runs a commanding, no-nonsense investigation. He eventually turns to the audience for help.
He asks the audience to watch closely as the suspects reenact their movements — step by step and in proper sequence — during the time leading up to the discovery of the body; to point out any inconsistencies, any misstatements, any omissions. At the end, the audience, by show of hands, votes their choice of the murderer. Whoever gets the most votes is the murderer — which means the identity of the murderer changes from performance to performance.
“Whoever is chosen is what we play,” Nick explains. “Shear Madness” is an engaging, frivolous piece that is played here by a thoroughly accomplished ensemble that goes at this material with energy, abandon, style and, above all, trust. Under the direction of Bob Lohrmann — who has four “Shear Madness” productions to his credit, including the long-running production in Washington, D.
C. at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Lab — the scripted portions of the play and its improvised moments are smoothly interwoven. At the performance I attended, the show lost some of its momentum during the audience participation portion of the second half but it regained its energy when the house lights dimmed and Lohrmann’s expert cast took over.
The one-liners and double entendres are at times obvious and groan-inducing but that’s all part of the stylistic territory “Shear Madness” stakes out. Individually and together, these actors are more than up to the physical and narrative challenges “Shear Madness” offers. It's so calming and reassuring to sit in a theater riding, along with everyone else in the audience, waves of laughter induced from material that is designed to do nothing more than that.
What: “Shear Madness” by Paul Portner. Directed by Bob Lohrmann With: Steven Sands, Elizabeth Pietrangelo, Jeff Haffner, Benita Zahn, Jack Grigoli, Michael DeVito Who: Majestic Theater Where: 131 Elm St., West Springfield When: Through Oct.
20 Performances: 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays; 7:30 p.
m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays Running time: 2 hours, 19 minutes (including one intermission) Tickets: $35, 38; $36 (seniors – 65 and older; students – K-12 and college) Reservations and information: 413-747-7797; majestictheater.com.
