"Blood Brothers" plays in NoHo

---Theatre Review

Scenes and impressions from the Whitefire Theatre's production of "Blood Brothers" will remain with you long after the curtain falls.

From its haunting opening scene until the final anguished conclusion, the play will tear at your heart and make you wish, along with the lead character... Say it's not true; say it's just pretend ...

Laid out plainly and in metaphor it's the story of how poverty, superstition, and social class affect the lives of a single woman; her twin sons who are separated at birth but connected by a steel-strong invisible cord that will not break even in death; and a desperate and barren housewife who brokers a deal that may just drive her insane.

(See photos above)

Written by Willy Russell and directed by Bryan Rasmussen, this emotionally intense musical drama follows Mrs. Johnstone, a poverty-level cleaning woman (think South Central LA or Harlem NY) with many "mouths to feed," as she makes the agonizing decision to give up one of her twins in order to support the others.

Pamela Taylor skillfully brings pathos and tenderness to this difficult role as she tells about the consequences of her choice.

Judy Norton plays Mrs. Lyons, a woman with a large, empty house who is consumed with envy and resentment over her maid's pregnancy. If there is a villain in the play, she may be it, but your heart goes out to her nevertheless.

Eduardo Enrikez (Mickey) and Ryan Nealy (Edward) play the twins; the first one kept, the second given away. Both perform the roles of the gradually growing boys with astonishing skill and credibility.

Enrikez is entirely believable as a hyper-active 7-year old boy playing cowboys and Indians. When he serendipitously meets his very different twin for the first time, he instantly bonds with him. The first chill descends when he insists that he and his new "best friend" become blood brothers.

His final words in the play will rock you to the core.

Nealy, too, is convincing as the clean-cut, nicely-dressed, "privileged" twin, deliciously shocked by Mickey's crude behavior and speech; wishing he could be "a little bit like him."

In truth, both brothers long for the things they see in the other's life... but can never have.

The story is narrated by Gil Darnell, who slips in and out of scenes with cryptic statements and somber predictions, invisible to all but the audience. He reminds the women that there is "a price to be paid," and that the Devil's "got your number."

Underscoring the drama and accompanying the singing is a 3-man folk/rock band, led by Carson Schultze. In several scenes an eerie heart beat raises the tension, thanks to drummer Tom Zygmont.

"Blood Brothers" is a play you will want to see again and again.

Performances are: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 3 pm, through November 23

General Admission is $25; students and seniors are $20. For reservations and information call (866) 811-4111 or go to www.BloodBrothersLA.com

The Whitefire Theatre is located at 13500 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks (three blocks east of Woodman, at Sunnyslope).