New Musical in Manhattan

Happy As Larry (by Donagh MacDonagh; music by Mischa & Wesley Portnoff; produced by Leonard Sillman) is not only implacably whimsical; it is for the most part unbearably silly and dull. Produced as a straight play in Dublin and London, it caught the fancy of Burgess Meredith, who thought it would be the better for music. With both music and Meredith, it lasted for three performances. Meredith first plays Larry, a reminiscing tailor, then the grandfather that Larry reminisces about. Grandpa was murdered by his wife's lover, then the lover was murdered, then grandpa came briskly back to life, then his wife fell down dead, then he married a gay widow. Written mostly in doggerel, Happy As Larry deals mostly with sex. There are also snatches of nice music, and Marguerite Piazza is fun as the widow. Actor Meredith would have more charm if he tried for less.

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