Atlantic City Weekly

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We’ve all had movies that stayed with us for years and even decades.

The Godfadda Workout is a show for anyone who has ever stood in front of the mirror and said, “Are you talkin’ to me?”

Actor Seth Isler, collaborating with his co-creator Susan Jane Sullivan, turned his obsession with The Godfather into a one-man show that recreates numerous key scenes from the legendary movie, with added physical comedy bits. As for the “Workout” portion of the title, Isler is the one getting the workout by leaping over desks, sliding across a table and doing other energetic bits of physical business as he parades around the stage to play the numerous characters he creates — Brando’s Godfather, Robert Duvall’s Tom, James Caan’s Sonny, Al Pacino’s Michael and even Diane Keaton’s Kay.

The premise of the show is that Isler has lost many of his friends and ruined romantic relationships because of his obsession with The Godfather. He talks to the Godfather (a voice from the sky), who suggests that in order to exorcise his obsession, Isler should do a series of scenes from the movie. When he is done, his obsession will be cured.

This is the premise that gives Isler the opportunity to have a blast doing his impressive vocal impressions of the cast and his crazy physical actions. And, although he has the only speaking role, it should be noted that the stagehands bring their own comedy style to the changing of the set pieces and as behind-the-scenes assistants. This one-man show takes more than one person to pull it off successfully.

At a running time of 90 minutes, the show seems a bit long. As is typical in sketch comedy, some of the sketches are lighter on the laughs than others, but those moments in the production are then quickly forgotten as a funnier bit follows.

The Godfadda Workout will entertain all the obsessive movie fans out there who are guilty of creating movie scenes in the privacy of their own homes. Isler has taken his own obsession to the stage of Bally’s Palace Theater this summer.

From the Freeway to the Stage

When he isn’t recreating The Godfather onstage, Seth Isler is an actor (Bones, Cold Case, Medium, E.R.) and a producer of documentaries. He has produced many History Channel, MSNBC and A&E specials, biographies and series, including the award-winning The Unfinished Civil War, and A&E’s Biography of David Ben-Gurion, both of which he also narrated. The Godfadda Workout has received numerous awards, and has been produced Off-Broadway, in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and at the HBO Comedy Festival in Aspen, Colo., before landing at Bally’s this summer.

Isler explains that, “My philosophy of life is that a man can never be a real man unless he has memorized The Godfather. I watched that movie a million times and then one day I went driving in L.A. on the 405 freeway and I started reciting the dialogue. Of course no one was looking at me because that is pretty normal behavior for the L.A. freeway.” Later Isler met Susan Sullivan at an acting workshop and she helped shape his vision into the finished show. “We went to junk yards, thrift yards ... the show has a homemade feel to it. You’re supposed to see all the gags, all the strings. It is supposed to be this obsessed guy who built this set in his dad’s garage.” Isler also admits that he never expected this gig to linger for 14 years. “Just when I thought I was out ... this has been an absolutely amazing time for us. We just keep coming back to this because we get so much joy out of doing it.” — LH

‘The Godfadda Workout’
When: Final show Fri. July 30, 8pm
Where: Bally’s Palace Theater, A.C.
How Much: $25

Did you see the show? Leave a comment below!