BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE

by Richard P. Brickner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 1971

A back-scratching, thigh-slapping horse opera bouffe about the arts and you may ""well fear for the decline of art"" as Alastair Hughes, a critic, says after he sells out to the philistines and becomes the Artistic Administrator for a rich man's establishment of a Culture City in the midwestern heartland. On and off stage you'll find an impresario of modern art called Consuelo Guppy Gulliver; and Ivy Lapp, an actress who is always in heat (moving upward in her sphere of activity); and Amelia, a composer, and, primarily, playwright Gregory Lubin whose marriage and tracheotomy props up the plot. It's good-natured to be sure but certainly the humor errs on the side of heartiness, or is it trendy parody (""natchment""; ""hitchy-koo"") and more often than not you are left wondering whether Culture City could really be Fun City.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1971

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Scribners

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1971

Categories: FICTION