What I liked
I’ve seen Brian Rohan’s outstanding work over the course of quite a few years both in theatre and film, and I never cease to be impressed with his talent and range. But his performance in his own beautifully written solo play ‘Jimmy Stewart On The Front Of Life’ knocked me for a loop because, though I was familiar — through photos and short video clips — with his fine work as a Jimmy Stewart impersonator at annual festivals/events honoring both Stewart and ’It’s A Wonderful Life’, I admit I was still not prepared for the experience I had a couple nights ago at Hollywood’s Skiptown Playhouse. Admittedly distracted at first by various audio-visual glitches, I soon found myself utterly transfixed by the multi-levelled and uncanny incarnation of Jimmy Stewart which both Brian’s remarkable performance and his fine and often beautiful writing made possible.
What I didn't like
As briefly indicated at the beginning of my review, there were some distracting technical issues with both projections and sound which would have been even more problematic were Brian’s performance and the details of Stewart’s compelling story not as mesmerizing as they were.
My overall impression
Far from a mere impersonation, Rohan’s warm, subtle, funny and endearing portrayal of Jimmy Stewart gradually gave way to more troubled aspects of the man, revealing, bit by bit, increasingly complex and contradictory elements which I neither knew of or suspected. And these intimately observed aspects of both Stewart’s public persona as a popular film actor and the private man behind that public facade — never more powerfully expressed than in his struggles to deal with the lingering psychological and emotional after-effects of his experiences as a World War 2 Commander and pilot — were truly revelatory. In fact, these haunting harrowing and moving glimpses opened a window into the mind and heart of a Jimmy Stewart who was wholly new to me. As were the behind-the-scenes moments revealing his professional doubts and insecurities as an actor. And so this fascinating and well-rounded exploration of the complicated human being behind a beloved film icon so many of us have grown up with, should galvanize future audiences, holding them riveted as I and others so clearly were the night I experienced Rohan’s remarkable incarnation of a human being you only THOUGHT you knew so well. This one-act gem is a visit you’ll be very glad you had, so grab your ticket(s) while you still can!
