Every year, the New Berlin West Theater shows off their talents with musicals and plays, and this year, their rendition of “You Can’t Take It with You” show cased many of the group’s talents.

From the set to the intermission music, the show was fantastically done. The stage was breath taking as the lights bounced off the decorative pink walls, and it had gorgeous furniture that completely fit the time period of the 1930s. The paintings on the walls and the chandelier brought an air of elegance with simplicity. As the show started, the microphones and sound effects were great. The fireworks sounded very realistic accompanied by smoke that drifted from behind the set wall. Unfortunately, some of the microphones were much quieter than others, and at some points, the dialogue was barely audible.

The costumes also made the show, fitting each character and their personalities well. The richer folk dressed in suits and pearls, and the other characters dressed comfortably, but still with style, matching the house they lived in.

The show itself raises many questions about living your life in happiness and doing what makes you feel complete. The quirky, less affluent family of the house decides to do what makes them happy no matter how unordinary it might seem to others.

The family included Martin Vanderhof (Danny Jasinski) who cared for his pet snakes and refused to pay taxes for things he didn’t believe in, Ed Carmichael (Scott Ziolecki) who expressed his passion for printing and playing the xylophone, his wife Essie Carmichael (Dani Sipos) who took ballet from the over enthusiastic Russian Boris Kolenkhov (Clayton Mortl) who impressed the audience with his thick Russian accent carried through the whole play. My only criticism is that the accent was a bit too thick and hard to understand. Paul Sycamore (Trevor Whittow), who liked to experiment with explosives, with his friend Mr. DiPenna (Brooklyn DiPietrantonio), engaged the audience with their firework making. Penny Sycamore (Aubrey Trecek), Paul’s wife, had play writing and suggestive comments that brought much comedy to the performance, and lastly, there was Alice Sycamore (Bailey Pietsch), the overwhelmed daughter and only seemingly normal member of the family. Their maids, Rheba (Allison Warner) and Donald (Ryan Hanley), also helped support the craziness of the family.

Alice meets Tony Kirby (Hunter Leathers) and the two fall in love, but Alice is concerned that her family might be a bit too much for the Kirbys. When Tony Kirby brings his parents for dinner unexpectedly, Mr. Kirby (Dmitry Becker) and Mrs. Kirby (Julie Kelnhofer) get shocked away from their richy rich attitudes and thrown into the lives of Alice’s family. Needless to say things don’t go as planned, and embarrassed, Alice tries to run away, but her family and Tony help her realize that they may be unorthodox, but they are happy, and that’s all they need. Eventually the Kirbys come to accept this as well, and Alice and Tony will be married.

Many others played important roles in the story line, such as Gabe Coello as Agent Henderson, who comes to harass Martin Vanderhof about his taxes, Renee Rose, who plays Olga Katrina, a royal of Russia, and Sophia Rasmussen as Gay Wellington, who sparks laughs despite being passed out drunk on the couch.

Overall, the humorous and thought provoking play left everyone with a good feeling. The progressive nature and well scripted acts made the play enjoyable, and not seem like 2 hours had passed. The New Berlin West Theater pulled it off again.