Pain and humor are strange bedfellows for how do you explain The Three Stooges or the laughter following a banana peel pratfall? Neil Simon's "Broadway Bound" juxtaposes that curious relationship between funny and sad as it chronicles the dissolution of the Jerome family just as its protagonist Eugene gets his first big break at becoming a professional comic writer. "Broadway Bound" represents a gifted writer's ability to tell a sad story in a humorous way. It mixes the young hero's bravado against an unknown future with the mature playwright's ability to look backward and chuckle at dark memories.
             Kate is the mother who has spent a lifetime caring for her family and traveling no farther than a subway could take her. Her family includes an aged and mentally rambling father, two adult sons ready to leave the nest, and a distant and aloof husband who is deep into an emotional attachment to another woman. Kate fairly radiates pain and barely controlled outrage in her scenes with husband Jack Jerome. Her relationship with her son is best revealed in a waltz around the dining room table. It's a memory sequence of the time she ballroom danced with George Raft and, as Eugene coaxes his mother into the moment, the scene comes alive with humanity and warmth, balancing and underscoring her developing personal tragedy.
             Gene DeFrancis is the focal point as Eugene, providing narration and access to the characters through his recollection. He keeps the role appropriately upbeat, revealing the family drama without becoming swamped by it. As the play moves on he provides interaction with the audience, updating them with the scenes and brief summary of their families past. This was done very well by him to jump and talk to the audience, then retracting back to his role as Eugene. This gave him a two character/personality role to perform.
             The HPU Theatre was small like the Kumu Kahua Theatre, but this theatre was very nice and well maintained. ...