Date: Fri 08-May-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: JUDYC

Quick Words:

Buffalo-Players-theatre-Stern

Full Text:

THEATRE REVIEW: A Wonderful Surprise Awaits At Newtown's Little Theatre

By Julie Stern

There were several happy surprises in store last weekend at the season opener

for the Town Players' Little Theatre. First, after years of urging by this

reviewer, among others, the curtain time has been changed to 8 o'clock.

More significantly, while light farces have their definite limitations, Moon

Over Buffalo is at least an American farce. Freed from the labors of trying to

keep up British accents, the actors of the Newtown theatre were able to

concentrate their energies on being quick and clever and very funny.

Set in 1950s Buffalo, Ken Ludwig's play is something of a cross between The

Royal Family and Noises Off . It deals with a troupe of second rate actors,

struggling to keep their repertory company afloat, while dreaming of a chance

to make a comeback in Hollywood.

George and Charlotte Hay are a couple of minor league Barrymores who tread the

boards in alternating performances of Cyrano de Bergerac and Noel Coward's

Private Lives , together with Charlotte's mother, Ethel, their daughter

Rosalind's ex-boyfriend Paul and George's mistress, Eileen.

Suddenly a miraculous opportunity opens up: Ronald Colman and Greer Garson

have pulled out of the filming of a sequel to The Scarlet Pimpernel and Frank

Capra has expressed an interest in using George and Charlotte to fill in. In

fact, he is flying in from California to watch them in the matinee.

In such a tense situation, you can bet that anything that can go wrong, will

do so, involving Ethel's malfunctioning hearing aid, Eileen's pregnancy, and

Rosalind's new fiance - a television weatherman who is such a nervous nelly he

can't remember his own name, allowing himself to be mistaken for Capra.

The whole thing works for a number of reasons: Barry Corn, a newcomer to the

Town Players, is wonderful in the part of George, with a broad spectrum of

emotions ranging from high dudgeon to romantic persuasion to whining

self-pity. Glowing and ebullient when he and Charlotte fence across the living

room (as they practice a scene from Cyrano), he becomes a pitiful and

exasperating drunk, with legs as rubbery as his expression.

The rest of the cast rises to his level, especially Suzanne Kinnear as

Charlotte, and Martha Bishop as Ethel. Daniel J. Mulvihill, Jr as Paul is a

credible romantic hero, hoping to win back his Rosalind, well played by Kristi

McKeever. Ron Malyszka is appropriately mousy as the weatherman Howard, and

the cast is rounded out by Cheryl Sladicki Kohler as Eileen, who is hysterical

even if her pregnancy isn't, and Timothy Huebenthal as the company's lawyer

who has his own hopes for love.

Director Evelyne Thomas is at the top of her form here, keeping things moving

at a crackling pace and milking the playwright's lines for all the laughs that

are in them.

The whole thing was a lot of fun. The audience certainly had a good time. As

long as you don't mind some risque references and a bit of "language," this is

something even the kids would enjoy.

And this year, you'd all be home by 10 pm.

(Town Players' season-opening Moon Over Buffalo continues through May 23, with

performances Friday and Saturday evenings. Tickets are $10, $9 for seniors.

Call 270-9144 for reservations or other information.)