Adobe Theater to cook up some humor with 'Dinner with the Boys'

Oct. 10—"Dinner with the Boys" serves up a spicy parody of every Mob show from "The Godfather" to "The Sopranos."

Charlie, a Mafia hit man, and Dom, the Family cook, sit holed up in a rural New Jersey house for months, awaiting their fates. Killing and eating are their favorite pastimes.

The play by Dan Lauria opens at the Adobe Theater on Oct. 15.

Exiled for a botched job, the pair cook juicy meals, tell tales and worry about the future.

"They are waiting to hear what's going to happen to them," director Rhonda Ware said. "In the meantime, dinner must be served."

It could be their last meal.

Family boss Big Anthony, Jr. arrives later to announce their fates, triggering a series of twists. Humor abounds wrapped in manic energy. One man uses a zucchini as a weapon; the lights dim with scary stories.

"Charlie is a right-hand man to Leo, one of the main mobsters," Ware said.

Charlie's nervous, talking about running away and escaping the Family as far away as Brooklyn. Turns out Big Anthony ordered a hit on Leo, but Charlie and Dom couldn't do it.

The goombah clichés tumble fast and furious.

Ware first saw the show in Farmington.

"I just loved the dialogue," she said, "and the relationship, and I just love that it was a parody."

Playwright Lauria is best known as an actor. He played the father in the TV series "The Wonder Years." The play debuted in 2015.

"Dinner with the Boys" stars Dan Ware, Yannig Morin, Daniel Anaya and Nick Urzetta. It marks Rhonda Ware's directorial debut.

Masks and vaccination proof are required for this live show.

If you go

WHAT: "Dinner with the Boys"

WHERE: The Adobe Theater, 9813 Fourth St. NW

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15 and Saturday, Oct. 16; 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17; Repeats through Nov. 7. Pay-what-you-will 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4.

HOW MUCH: $20 general; $17 seniors, students, military, first responders, teachers and health care workers at 505-898-9222, adobetheater.org.