CHEZ BOB

John Lithgow's orotund delivery brings the right notes of drollery to this tale of an alligator who becomes so attached to his prospective meal he can't eat it. Bob is lazy, hungry, and wily, traits that lead to a seemingly perfect scheme: He will turn his snout into a gourmet birdseed restaurant that will have his prey literally flying to his mouth. "Welcome to Chez Bob," he says to his first customer, "which is a real restaurant and not a trick." Lithgow's affected tone of innocence will have listeners almost believing it. But as Bob immerses himself in the avian community that springs up around him, Lithgow's performance of Bob's guile morphs into a genuine affection that will have both listeners and birds convinced. Tastefully hilarious. V.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2023]