Hysterical romp "You Can't Take it with You" kicks off Lionheart's Summer

"No, the world's not a crazy place...it's just the people in it….” said Grandpa, the patriarch of the Sycamore family, summing up the rich and rewarding tone of “You Can’t Take it With You” hilarious stage romp that opens Friday at Lionheart Theatre Company in Historic Norcross.

The 1938 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman is set in a big home in New York City. In this charming story, Tony, the son in the dower Kirby family, falls in love with Alice Sycamore. The Kirby’s are appalled by the quirky Sycamore clan and their nutty antics. The Sycamores live life as they please with snakes slithering through the house, a bad ballerina, a parlor with a printing press, a visit from a Russian Countess who waits tables, the patriarchal tax evader, and explosions from homemade fireworks. Against the wishes of Tony’s stuffy parents, love and weirdness prevail.

“The play's theme is timeless to me as it reminds us that it is okay to be different and to enjoy life to its fullest,” said Scott King, the veteran Lionheart director. “Everyone needs to decide what brings them joy in life, and to the extent possible, seek after that....because it is true....when you're gone from this world, you sure cannot take it with you!”

Of note, Fox Five Good Day Atlanta reporter Paul Milliken appears in the play as Ed, the son- in-law who plays the xylophone and operates an amateur printing press.

On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, celebrity chef Nona Johnson will serve a champagne brunch at the Lionheart Centre+ for the Arts at noon. The price is $35 and includes a ticket to the show.

Lionheart will donate a portion of the show’s proceeds to Norcross Meals on Wheels. The organization provides home-bound, elderly, and disabled citizens with nutritious, appetizing midday meals in the Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Berkeley Lake, and Duluth areas of Gwinnett.

“You Can’t Take It With You” runs May 6 through 22. Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 p.m., Sunday shows start at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 and $12 for seniors and students. Dessert is included. Group rates are available. To purchase tickets, log onto www.lionhearttheatre.org. For inquiries only, email reservations@lionhearttheatre.org or call 678-938-8518.

Photo Caption. Lovers Tony Kirby (Jeremy King) and Alice Sycamore (Sarah Zuk) have a heart-to-heart about their polar opposite families. Photo Credit: Richard L. Phillips

Photo Caption: Mayhem ensues on stage with cast of zany characters. Photo Credit: Richard L. Phillips

Photo captions: Xylophonist Ed (Paul Milliken) and his deluded ballerina wife Essie (Katie Engstrom) peer in at the zany events in the Sycamore home.