Fully Committed

"Modern Family" star Jesse Tyler Ferguson keeps his Broadway chops honed in a revival of the one-man show "Fully Committed," now playing at the Lyceum Theatre. Based on characters by Becky Mode and Mark Setlock, the play has been updated to reflect our foodie-obsessed, Open Table culture.

The action opens on Sam, a struggling actor relegated to a dusty basement storage room of a restaurant that is the toast of the town. It's one of those pretentious places where it's impossible to get reservations; Sam advises callers to phone in on January 6 for an April reservation. As the chef notes, they're not booked, they're "fully committed."

But VIPs know no rules, and the bulk of Sam's day is spent navigating the fragile egos of his customers, coworkers, fellow actors, the coke-sniffing French restaurant manager Jean-Claude, and the puerile head chef. Ferguson transitions seamlessly from character to character, very often with just the flip of a hand and a Southern California accent turning him into the chef, who's obsessed with molecular gastronomy; or the quip "okey-doke, adios amigo!" letting you know that it's Sam's dad on the line -- a loving man who's slightly fragile after the recent death of his wife, and just wants his family together for Christmas.

Scenic design by Derek McLane presents a set comprised of exposed basement pipes, a wire storage rack of canned goods and extra flatware, and a sad, fake Christmas tree. Above two desks read the admonition "No Ned Finlay," and by the end of the action, you'll discover why. Hanging above this is a cascade of wooden chairs; the back wall is lined with bottles of wine, like all the best spots do.

Ferguson cut his teeth on Broadway as Chip in George C. Wolfe's revival of "On the Town," starring alongside the sassy belter Lea DeLaria, long before her "Orange Is the New Black" days. And this return to the stage gives him a chance to keep his craft sharp before a small, but discerning audience.

You'll chuckle as he trots out characters like Bunny Vanderveer, who demands table 31 to impress their guest, Malcolm Gladwell. "We can be very flexible; any time between 7:30 and 8," quips the character.

In between taking reservations, Sam climbs atop a wooden chair to get cell phone reception so he can field calls to his agent and his acting nemesis Jerry, who cattily urges him not to "go into a shame cycle just because that HBO thing fell through."

Sam scrambles to put out fires as he's left all alone. His coworker Bob calls to say that he's stuck on the LIE; in reality, he's interviewing for a new job at Bed, Bath & Beyond. His coworker Sonia hasn't shown up either, saying her dad has lupus. Meanwhile, the chef continues to snub the photographer for Bon Appetit, who's been sitting in the lobby all morning.

But Sam does his best to placate customers like Bryce, who's booking a 16-person all-vegan tasting menu for Gwyneth Paltrow, who doesn't like female servers and prefers to bring her own Edison lightbulbs, for maximum effect. He puts the angry Carolyn Rosenstein Fisburn on hold again and again, until he learns she's dining with the casting agent at Lincoln Center, with whom he has an audition the next morning. Miraculously, a table opens.

Thanks to the restaging, Mode had the opportunity to flesh out the characters a bit more, and the play benefits from it. When Sam realizes the power he has as the gatekeeper to the city's hottest bistro, his sad circumstances begin to switch around, and he soon has money, a promising job opportunity, and the holidays off.

At a trim 80 minutes, "Fully Committed" is a delightful amuse bouche for your theatrical funny bone. Those in the food service industry will recognize the many points where it is spot-on. Ferguson may spend the whole time on the phone, but he is far from phoning it in.

"Fully Committed" runs through July 31 at the Lyceum Theatre, 149 W. 45th St. For tickets or information, call 212-239-6200 or visit http://fullycommittedbroadway.com