In this new feature, Broadway.com staffers send personal shout-outs to applause-worthy stars, shows and more.
By the time Tom Edden makes his entrance as elderly pub waiter Alfie, the zany comedy of One Man, Two Guvnors is already in full swing. With a single physical sight gag, however, Edden elevates the fun to a whole new level. The scene-stealing moment comes as Alfie’s physical handicaps (and all around absent-mindedness) make it nearly impossible for Francis (James Cordon) to accommodate the lunch demands of his two separate bosses. In the hands of a less skilled actor, Alfie’s many tremors and tics could come off as offensive and tasteless, but Edden imbues the rubber-faced old man with such a lovable goofiness, he feels like a character straight out of a classic Mel Brooks movie. We wouldn’t want Edden waiting on us for a post-theater meal, but we’re definitely eating up what he’s serving on stage.