What I liked
If you loved Mickey Rooney then don’t miss this show. Asian actor J. Elijah Cho, both writer and performer, brings him to life in all his dare-devil humor and Hollywood-legend status. His impersonation will have you laughing and, as the story of what Hollywood demands of one of its icons, perhaps even close to crying. Cho also transforms smoothly into other characters, both on and off-stage, to give us a meaningful understanding of the world Mickey inhabits.
Paradoxically, Cho shows how Rooney, after becoming this figure of dubious fun, found acceptance in the community his performance mocked, while the rest of us so-called Caucasian folk still recoil in shock and disgust.
What I didn't like
Not everyone has seen ‘Breakfast At Tiffany’s’ (1961) so perhaps showing a clip of Mickey’s Mr. Yunioshi before the play starts might illuminate the subject for those audience members. If the rights aren’t available then a blow-up poster might do.
My overall impression
Brilliant writing and acting. Shows the human face behind an offensive caricature.
