What I liked
Helena Cosentino: Her passion for and understanding of Gilda Radner’s life and creativity are amazing to watch. She loves Gilda so much it makes it very easy to see Gilda through her eyes and fall in love with the actress just as deeply.
Gilda’s Journey: Helena also does a fantastic job helping us understand how Gilda’s life transpired, from her earliest career through her fight with cancer, using both actual recorded commentary from those who knew Gilda and her own portrayals of Gilda’s characters to help us understand. It’s a great blend that draws you in and holds you throughout the experience.
Gilda’s Characters: Helena does them very, very well. They’re not mimics, but Helena’s own interpretations of them—and she does them exceptionally.
What I didn't like
My overall impression
Gilda Radner wasn’t a comedian that I had much of an opinion about one way or another before I saw this show—I wasn’t a big fan of or a a hater against her. Helena Cosentino’s top-notch solo performance that celebrates Gilda’s life, death, attitude and comedy is so good it made me into a Gilda fan.
That’s clearly the goal. Helena is a life-long Gilda fan (admitted so as part of the show) and this play is clearly her way of both celebrating that admiration of Gilda’s talent and helping to raise money to fight the cancer that ended Gilda’s life far too soon.
Using a combination of storytelling and her own interpretations of Gilda’s characters, Helena does a really stellar job of bringing us into Gilda’s life and help us see her unique take on herself and her world. This is a show truly worth watching and I hope it continues to play long beyond this Fringe festival.
