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Richard George Howard Roz Charlotte Paul Eillen Ethel
Preview, Record-Eagle, May5, 2000, Nancy Sundstrum
It's the touching saga of a selectively-hearing grandmother whose movie-star wannabe daughter considers running off with a rich lawyer and ditching her philandering husband when his
pregnant girlfriend steals a naïve weatherman away from his fiancé.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
This riotous plot line belongs to Ken Ludwig's "Moon Over Buffalo," one of the most popular comedies to hit Broadway in recent years. The play begins a three-week run at Old Town Playhouse (OTP) next week.
Ludwig, who was already known to Broadway audiences for the hilarious play "Lend Me a Tenor," wrote this comedic farce about the drama that goes on behind the scenes in the world of theater. The 1995 play proved powerful enough to lure Carol Burnett back to the Great White Way after a 30-year absence, and earned several Tony nominations.
Director Gary Bolton, who has served on the OTP Board of Trustees and has many production crew credits there dating back to 1986, says that when he first read the play he was so taken with it, that he decided to make his directorial debut with the piece.
"All the elements of a classic farce interwoven with the fast pace of the action and dialogue make this a show that is unique," explained Bolton.
"There's also quick-witted repartee, hilarious misunderstandings, surprise twists, and outrageous situations." Set in 1953 in Buffalo, New York, "Moon" is the story of veteran actors George Hay (Donald Kuehlhorn) Charlotte Hay (Jeanette Mason), who run the Erlanger Theatre, a struggling, third-rate repertory company. With the advent of TV and the lure of Hollywood movies as competition, their theater is falling on hard times, forcing the Hays to realize they need to get work in films or
television.
The problem is how to get a break. When the Hays learn that the famous film director Frank Capra
("It's a Wonderful Life") is directing a movie nearby that has lost its two stars, and that Capra plans to attend one of their shows to see if George and Charlotte may be a suitable replacement, chaos ensues as misheard conversations, mishaps and confusion entangle the actors in their search for their big break. The simultaneous announcement by the theater
company's ingenue that she is carrying George's baby also does little to help matters.
All of which means this is a challenging piece for Bolton and his actors.
"The critical issue for the characters is comedic timing," said Bolton. "There are also difficulties in keeping the dynamic balance between the over-the-top slapstick scenes and the more serious moments needed to move the plot along. From the perspective of the technical crew, this is not a demanding show, but for the actors, it's a real workout."
Plays and roles that present such challenges can sometimes prove irresistible to actors, which was the case for veteran performers
Kuehlhorn and Mason.
"I read the play shortly after it was accepted as part of this season and I laughed out loud," recalls
Kuehlhorn. "At the moment, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I get to sword fight, then be kissed by a beautiful woman, then hugged by another beautiful woman, after which I tell off one of my best friends. And I get to do it nine times, not counting rehearsals."
"I've never really done farce before, and it's fun mugging the audience and being as outlandish as possible," said Mason. "It is also amazingly difficult. Getting the timing right is a real challenge, and as a director, I like to get back on stage to remember what the actors undergo while I'm in the director's seat. It's like a teacher becoming a student again. I will be a better director for having again experienced the fear and excitement of being an actress."
The cast also includes Sarah Hampton (Rosalind), Ed Mulcahey (Paul), Rick Korndorfer (Howard), Denni Don Hunting (Ethel), Lisa Oddy (Eileen), and George Beeby (Richard).
Assisting Bolton on the production crew are Assistant Director/Lighting Designer Ron Murden, Stage Manager Margaret Schaal, Assistant Stage Manager Deb Bowman, Producer Paula Czarny, Stunt Coordinator Robert "Wizard" Roush, Costumers Nancy Albrecht, Donna Hood, Steve Morse, Pinkie Hoffman, Elly Stevens, and Susie Warner, Set Designer Matt McCormick, Set Constructors Jeff Kroeger, Al Lien, and Dann McCarthy, Set Painters Kerri Moses and Kelly Curtis, Props Coordinators Mike Kelly, Elly Stevens, and Ron Stevens, Lighting Operator Marty Phillips, Sound Operators Inger Jay and Ryan McKenzie, and Makeup/Hair Designer Paddy Brown.
"Moon Over Buffalo" at Old Town Playhouse runs May 12-13, May 18-20, and May 25-27 at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, May 21 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $12 and $10 for students and seniors on Thursday evening performances only. For reservations or more information, call the OTP Box Office at 947-2443 Monday-Saturday from 4:00-8:00 p.m.
By Jill Beauchamp
Special to the Record-Eagle
TRAVERSE CITY - Friday night's large crowd at Old Town Playhouse thoroughly enjoyed "Moon Over Buffalo," Ken Ludwig's door-slamming, fast-paced farce.
In his directing debut, Gary Bolton has created a hilarious show with his ensemble cast and precise crew.
"Moon Over Buffalo" played on Broadway in 1995 with Carol Burnett and Philip Bosco. The story takes place on stage and mostly backstage at the Erlanger Theatre in Buffalo, New York, in 1953. The aging actors, Charlotte and George Hay, are performing "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Private Lives" in repertory, and bemoaning their lost chances for stardom.
In what is probably a normal day for this troupe of actors, a young actress reveals she is pregnant by George, the Hays have a major fight, their daughter tries to bring her weathercaster fiancée to meet her parents and the movie director Frank Capra is supposed to be in the matinee audience. Of course, there's much more, and it's one surprise after another.
As Charlotte Hay, the aging actress who still plays Juliet and Joan of Arc, Jeanette Mason is beautifully over the top. Charlotte is always "on stage," and Mason fills the role perfectly with well-timed facial expressions and comedic physicalization. Mason is particularly apt in the moment when Charlotte pouts and simpers.
Don Kuehlhorn plays George Hay, Charlotte's husband and male counterpart. Kuehlhorn is also very adept at facial expressions and the larger-than-life expressiveness of this man-of-the-theater. Kuehlhorn also has many difficult pratfalls and physical gags, which he performs with perfection, and hopefully, only a few bruises.
Ethel, Charlotte Hay's hard-of-hearing mother, is played delightfully by Denni Don Hunting. Her comedic timing is wonderful, as her character mistakes "hearing aid" for "lemonade" and then manages to hear the nasty things George says about her when he thinks she can't hear. Ethel is a masterpiece in Hunting's competent hands.
Sara Hampton plays the Hays' daughter Rosalind, who thinks she wants to escape the theater. Rosalind has previously had a relationship with company actor Paul, and is now bringing her weatherman fiancée to meet her parents.
Throughout the play, Rosalind shows many contradictory sides, from trying to be a "normal" homebody to the trouper actress to the steamy lover. Hampton is equal to all aspects of Rosalind, shifting from bored to sultry in a blink and delivering a perfectly timed and honed performance.
Howard, Rosalind's fiancée who is overwhelmed at the prospect of meeting The Hays, is played charmingly by Rick Korndorfer. Along with displaying naiveté` and boyishness, Korndorfer has a few physical gags that he manages expertly. He also goes into weatherman mode with ease.
Ed Mulcahy, in only his second role at Old Town Playhouse, is superb as Paul, the actor who is Rosalinds' former flame. Mulcahy has a ton of entrances and exits that demand instant reactions and changes of mood, and he handles each one with terrific timing.
In her first role ever, Lisa Oddy plays Eileen, the actress George has impregnated. Oddy is right at home on the stage, and she holds her own among the more experienced actors in the cast. Her facial expressions, comic timing and physical reactions are veteran quality.
Completing this ensemble is the role of the lawyer Richard, played by George Beeby. He is suave and charming as he tries to steal Charlotte Hay from her husband.
The set, designed by Matt McCormick, is effective. The main stage "green room" with its many doors to slam has the perfect ambiance. The other two minor sets for the performances of "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Private Lives" work well and are swiftly changed.
Costume designers Nancy Albrecht, Donna Hood and Steve Morse have created beautiful theatrical garments for the actors' performances of "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Private Lives," as well as appropriate 1950s clothing for the actors' off-stage lives.
Lighting, sound and special effects all contribute to keeping this show lively and fast-paced.
If you like to laugh, don't miss "Moon Over Buffalo" at Old Town Playhouse. Shows continue May 18-20 and 25-27 at 8 p.m., with a 3 p.m. matinee Sunday, May 21. Prices are $12 adults, or $10 for students and senior citizens for Thursday performances only.
For information, call 947-2443.