This eccentric group is all held together by the easygoing, philosophizing Grandpa … I mean, in the case of this production, Grandma Vanderhof. Pulling off this gender-bending performance is Katie Reynolds, whose bemused expressions and charming countenance combine for an endearing performance as the epicenter of the family from which all the others draw their inspiration to enjoy their lives by their own standards.

With or without Paul Sycamore’s fireworks, things are bound to ignite when their eccentric family crosses paths with the wealthy, straight-laced Kirby family. Bringing about this conjunction is Paul and Penny Sycamore’s other daughter, Alice (Christine Garver), who is about to become the fiancé of Tony Kirby (Matt Asciutto). Alice is nervous enough about Tony meeting her unusual family, let alone his stuffy parents meeting them. But instead of putting off the inevitable, a dinner is planned. Thus let the fireworks begin in the show’s most hilarious scene, beginning when the Kirbys arrive on the wrong night and discover the entire Sycamore family being themselves in all their uniquely Sycamore-ish splendor.

Director Ann Boutelle guided this talented young cast to a very amusing retelling of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play – a cast led by Katie Reynolds as the merry matriarch, and Christine Garver as granddaughter Alice who delivered great timing and anxious looks as she tries to integrate her beloved family with her fiancé and her would-be in-laws. Just a few of the other highlights include Clara Loginov as the snooty, disdainful Mrs. Kirby who finds slumming with the Sycamores almost amusing until her “hobby” of spiritualism gets ridiculed by the good-hearted, but very talkative, Mrs. Sycamore (Kathryn Stutz). Mr. Kirby (Yonatan Landau), though not quite so snooty, shares his wife’s amusement with the zany family, and also feels a little uncomfortable – especially when the outrageous Mr. Kolenkov suddenly gives the unsuspecting Mr. Kirby a quick lesson in wrestling!

Jason Robertson is a riot as that outrageous Russian ballet teacher, immediately becoming the center of attention whenever he enters the room with his boisterous voice, charisma, and decidedly plainspoken manner filling the Sycamore household with a special energy. He is joined by many other great ensemble members including the delightful Dr. DePinna (Flannery Huntley), the melodramatic and drunken actress Gay Wellington (Elise Benninghofen), and Duchess Olga (Nelly Bablumian) who was a cousin to the fallen Russian Czars, but who is now earning a living in America as a stately and elegant waitress.