FUNNY GIRL, SERIOUS STAKES
by on May 21, 2025
in Theater-Palm Springs (Coachella Valley)
In the world premiere of The Beverly Hills Hotel Peace Talks, now running at Coachella Valley Repertory, playwright Gregg Ostrin (The Spy Who Went Into Rehab) blends political farce, nostalgic Hollywood glamor, and razor-sharp insight into an unexpectedly moving comedy that feels as timely as tomorrow’s headlines. Directed with elegance and restraint by Randy Brenner, this smart, sophisticated play mines a real 1968 international controversy for theatrical gold — and the result is a poignant reminder that diplomacy, like storytelling, requires courage, compromise, and a little bit of chutzpah.
The premise is ripe with intrigue: When the infamous kissing scene between Omar Sharif and Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl sparks political outrage in Egypt and Israel, studio executive Shellie (played with just the right mix of desperation and slick charm by Josh Breslow) brings diplomats from both countries to The Beverly Hills Hotel to negotiate peace… if only for the sake of the movie…
…The Beverly Hills Hotel Peace Talks, a sharply written, beautifully acted gem, is the kind of world premiere that reminds us why new works matter. With wit, warmth, and urgent resonance, it’s a farce with feeling, a satire with soul—and it just might leave you believing in diplomacy again.
