Frasier star set For Arts Festival

Date Published: 04-Jul-2008

The return of former Frasier star John Mahoney to this year’s Arts Festival in the hit play from Chicago Better Late, is a happy event for both parties.

An excellent actor with star appeal, he is a great box office draw, which is good for the festival. Meanwhile, his love for Ireland, especially Galway, means he’s always delighted to be invited to perform here. He first visited in 2000 with Chicago’s Irish Repertory Theatre and subsequently returned with therenowned Steppenwolf Theatre of which he has been a long-term member.

“When Paul Fahy [GAF’s Artistic Director] came over to see this show I was on pins and needles. I’ve done so much in Galway and I love it,” says John by phone from his Chicago home.

Better Late is a comedy, co-written by Larry Gelbart (of M*A*S*H* and Tootsie fame) and Craig Wright (screenwriter of Six Feet Under) based on a true incident from Larry Gelbart’s life. Julian (who is based on Gelbart) is divorced from his wife, who has subsequently remarried. When he suffers a heart attack she invites him to stay with her and her current husband, so that she can care for him. The resultant conflict between her current and former husband is of epic proportions.

Better Late, which was specially written for John and fellow actor Mike Nussbaum — whom John describes as “alegend in Chicago theatre” — came about due to a set of happy circumstances, John explains.

“The artistic director of Northlight approached me and said he wanted Mike andme to act in Heroes, a play I didn’t much care for. But I agreed to do it, because I wanted to work with Mike.”

There were some issues over the rights to Heroes and “while that was going on Larry Gelbart heard we were doing something and wrote a play with us in mind, something which was actually true”.

Larry’s ex wife, who was a movie star in the 40s, came to see it, and it was really interesting to meet the real wife on whom the theatrical creation was based, says John.

“She remembers saying certain lines that he has used,but not in the context he used them. In reality, the first and second husband never had a cross word between them, but in the play there’s lots of
angst. She loves her second husband, but can’t seem to let go of the first one and, when that happens you know you are heading for a fall.

“It’s very funny and very moving and that’s how it all came about.

”Better Late was …