Tony Braithwaite is bringing back to the stage a character he loves, and we love watching him portray- George Burns. In two shows in 2023 and 2024, “Christmas in the Catskills,” he included Burns as one of the many comedians he presented. This time, it is 90 minutes of just Burns, one of the great straight men of comedy, as he reflects upon his life, particularly about the times with his wife and partner on stage, Gracie Allen.
Usually, standup comedy is performed by one person, but in the days of Vaudeville and radio, there were many duos- Martin and Lewis, Laurel and Hardy, and Abbot and Costello. They even made it to television as did Burns and Allen. In the show at Act II Playhouse, there is no Gracie. She died in 1964, six years after she stopped performing, Burns having lived for another 32 years, dying at 100 years of age. Braithwaite talks with us but he also talks with her, and we feel her presence. He goes to the cemetery regularly to talk with her. We also see images of Gracie and others that are briefly projected on a wall on the set. This is a remarkable play, written by the multi-talented playwright, Rupert Holmes. He collected some of the funniest routines and meshed them with a most interesting story of the lives of Burns and Allen in his play, “Say Goodnight, Gracie.”
Born Nathan Birnbaum, it begins as he is talking with God and looking back at his life. He lived with his parents and 11 brothers and sisters in a 3-room apartment near the Bowery in New York. When he was 7, his father died and he tried to help support the family by selling newspapers, shining shoes, and selling ice. Then, while working with other boys, they were heard singing and people threw pennies to them. Thus began a career in show business when he was 8 years old.
He wasn’t doing comedy. He was singing and dancing, but he began working with others as he tried to expand his repertoire. When he met Gracie in 1922, he was without a partner and they decided to work together, with Burns writing the comedy for their sketch. He got no laughs. She got plenty. It was then that he realized that she was the natural comedian, and the rest is showbusiness history as they performed together for 36 years.
Braithwaite both describes and acts out some of their bits. Burns loved her voice. He loved her acting ability. And he loved the manner in which he could start her going on stage by just asking, “how’s your brother.” In one bit, he asks her why she was under the bed when he entered the room, and she replies that someone told her to read Dr. Jekyll and Hyde,” and she was doing that. She murdered language so naturally that it’s hard not to laugh at all her funny screw ups.
We travel with the two as they go from place to place around the country, then to radio, and finally tv. There is more after Gracie passes away as Burns’ career continued for three more decades. It’s hard to fathom how so much was packed into 90 minutes! Written in 2003, it was the third longest solo performance show in Broadway history with Frank Gorshin as George Burns. I can’t imagine anyone but Braithwaite in the role. He captures the essence of Burns’ style and his voice. And he keeps us laughing throughout.
Many of the shows are already sold out so I suggest you get your tickets soon to this funny, sweet masterpiece by a master himself, Tony Braithwaite.
“Say Goodnight, Gracie” by Rupert Holmes at Act II Playhouse, 56 E. Butler Avenue., Ambler, PA 19002, 215-654-0200, act2.org thru May 3,, 2026
Philadelphia Theater Reviews by Frank Burd 