Inhabiting a Mentor and Heroes of the Stage
David M. GoldMarch 9, 2014: A few years back, Jim Brochu had a hit with his one-man show, Zero Hour, in which he reincarnated the great Zero Mostel. Now, in Character Man, a blend of cabaret, theater and scrapbook, he pays homage to a much larger lineup of actors and produces a solidly satisfying evening. Mr. Brochu defines a character man as someone able to play either leading or supporting parts while displaying “unusual characteristics or peculiarities,” who works in television, movies and theater but rarely becomes a household name. (Audiences might know him as “Oh yeah, that guy.”) On this roll call, Mostel is present, but so are Jack Gilford, George S. Irving, Barney Martin, Lou Jacobi and Charles Nelson Reilly, to name a handful of Mr. Brochu’s colleagues and inspirations.
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