Date: Fri 01-Dec-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Illustration: C

Location: A-11

Quick Words:

Spinning-Wheel-Christmas-Show

Full Text:

(rev of Spinning Wheel Inn Christmas show, 12/1/95)

Randazzos Whip Up An Early Christmas Wish

(with photos)

By Shannon Hicks

REDDING RIDGE - John Ritter used to star in a television sitcom where every

week he and his two female roommates would have a miscommunication or a

misunderstanding about something very simple. In a 30-minute span, most

episodes of "Three's Company" would involve mistaken identities, which would

inevitably lead to one character making a complete fool of themselves before

the entire escapade would come to a laughable, silly end.

This holiday season at The Spinning Wheel Inn in Redding Ridge, something

funny is going on at #3 Pine Brook Trail, a cabin in Vermont where a group of

people are about to spend a few days leading assumed lives. One character is

trying to unwind following a recent divorce, another is a ski bum trying to

scam a date, another is a talented - yet unappreciated - secretary with a

musician friend trying to pass something off as someone else's creation, all

in an attempt to impress a producer she wants to get to produce a show she has

written. Confused? Wait, there's also Buzz, a blind date.

Christmas Wishes is this year's theatre banquet offering by the Spinning Wheel

Inn. It is a fun, light-hearted, comical run through laughs, misunderstandings

and music. Written and directed by Karen Randazzo, with musical direction by

husband Peter Randazzo, Christmas Wishes should be just as popular this

holiday season Spinning Wheel offerings have been for the last 14 years.

In fact, due to the tremendous acceptance of prior years' performances, 82

showing were scheduled this year in just a six-week period, necessitating two

full casts. This year's casts include Beth Bria and Barbara Brown (sharing the

role of Gail Martin); Michael Gabinelli, John Lamendola and Peter Randazzo

(Gary Panello); Tracey Marble, Deborah Casey and Deb Holleran (Terri Parker);

David Berliner, Jerold Goldstein and Mike McGrath (Mike Miller); Paul Hatrick,

Mark Holleran and Raymond Michaud (Jeremy Trent); and Scott Kealey and Lou

Ursone (Buzz Flannerkin).

The busy casts began their grueling schedule of performances two weeks ago,

and daily shows are presented at least twice a day, with a noon matinee and an

evening show. Christmas Wishes continues through December 30, with three

performances planned on Christmas Eve. The casts will then take a two-day

break, resuming performances with an evening show December 27.

Christmas Wishes takes place in a cabin in Vermont. Specifically, in the

livingroom of the cabin on Pine Brook Trail. The characters are introduced one

by one - Gail, the recently-divorced psychiatrist; Gary, a ski bum/part-time

thief; Terri Parker and Mike Miller, secretary and musician; Jeremy Trent, a

producer; and Buzz Flannerkin, Gail's blind date - but it is an ensemble

production from start to finish.

Gail is trying to have a quiet winter vacation; Gary (played on press night by

the play's musical director) has scammed a girl he met on the slopes into

thinking he owns the cabin in which the farce takes place, and hopes to get

her to the cabin later that night, alone.

Meanwhile, enter Terri and Mike, who are supposed to be meeting with Terri's

boss to talk Jeremy Trent into producing a new play Terri has actually

written, but Jeremy is supposed to think Terri's boss has written it because

Jeremy never takes anything Terri says very seriously. Mike is a piano player.

And then there's Buzz. One of Gail's friends thinks Gail needs a good blind

date to pick her back up from her post-breakup doldrums, so the friend sends

Buzz up to the cabin to surprise Gail. Gail, and everyone else, is indeed

surprised, and the next three acts keep the laughs going.

Things get rather silly by the begin ning of the third act, entitled "This Is

A Farce," but stick with it. After the character couch sessions in the second

act, in which Gail ("believe it or not, this is my vacation!") tries to give

quick analyzations of her new-found friends, Buzz is given some of the best

lines of the night. Buzz's entrance in the third act, costumed as an 18th

Century duke and yelling out "Hail! Hail! I am the Duke!" in his

(misunderstanding of acting like a duke, of course) imitation of John Wayne,

brings on one of the biggest laughs all night.

Randazzo and Randazzo have produced a production that is dinner theatre - or

"theatre banqueting," as the Inn calls it - at its best. There is light

entertainment - who wants to digest something as heavy as Mamet or Edgar over

a meal, anyway? - and enough plausible storylines, intertwined with lots of

music, to keep the evening light-hearted, yet viewers are curious enough to

find out what will become of Buzz's broken heart, Jeremy's secret love,

Terri's as-yet-undiscovered talent, and everything else that comes up over the

course of a meal.

Of course everyone has a wonderful voice; they wouldn't have been cast in

these highly musical parts otherwise. The night the press was invited to

review a performance, the cast included Beth Bria as Gail and Tracey Marble as

Terri. Between the two there was wonderful comic timing, as well as a good

marriage of voices when the two performed "Christmas Wishes" early in the

production.

Theatre banqueting at the Spinning Wheel Inn differs from traditional dinner

theatre in that a four-course Christmas dinner is interspersed with four acts

of a professional theatrical production, rather than eating a full meal prior

to the performance. The food is delicious, pleasantly served, and everything

from meal price, tax and gratuity has already been taken care, so you can

fully relax while enjoying the entertainment.

From beginning to end, the Spinning Wheel theatre banquet experience is

approximately two and a half hours long. And when you leave the inn, with

Christmas carols still reverberating from the singalong finale, you will

definitely be in good company.

The Spinning Wheel Inn's Christmas show, Christmas Wishes, comes alive at the

Spinning Wheel Inn through December 30. Matinee and evening performances are

available, with ticket prices ranging from $42.50 to $56.50, which includes

meal, show, tax and gratuity. Admission is strictly by advance ticket purchase

only. For additional information or reservations, call the Spinning Wheel Inn

at 938-9080.