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May 6, 2015

A taste for shtick is all but required to enjoy “Dinner With the Boys” at the Acorn Theater. And since this cast is eager to mug, an appetite for ham wouldn’t hurt either. Charlie, a Mafia hit man, and Dom, a Mafia cook, have been holed up in a rural New Jersey house for months, awaiting punishment for a botched job. In between preparing juicy meals, they tell old tales and worry about their futures. Big Anthony Jr., the head of the family, later arrives to announce their fates, setting off a series of twists. Manic energy and hokey humor abounds – one man hits another over the head with a zucchini; the lights dim when scary stories are told – as does some gross-out talk of past murders. The play had its world premiere at the New Jersey Repertory Theater in Long Branch late last year. In that intimate theater, the groan-worthy wisecracks were delivered in a just-us tone; even jokes that fell flat were forgivable.

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