“Moon Over Buffalo,” by Ken Ludwig, is like watching two hours
of Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman, said the play’s director, Jim
Kimbrough.
By By: Susan Dage-Ruby
Castle Rock Players opens its second dinner theater next week,
and it has all the markings of a resounding success.
“Moon Over Buffalo,” by Ken Ludwig, is like watching two hours
of Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman, said the play’s director, Jim
Kimbrough.
Set in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1953, George and Charlotte Hays star is
plummeting. Once the toast of Broadway, the couple, played by Carl
Morrow and Carol Gartner, have been passed over by movies and
television and are eking out a living doing repertory theater
productions of “Cyrano de Bergerac” and “Private Lives.”
Still smarting from being passed over for parts in Frank Capra’s
latest production, “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” the couple continues
the gruelling regime of traveling from city to city and putting on
productions.
But as luck would have it, Capra’s lead actor takes the
backstage wish for luck, “break a leg,” literally. He falls during
the first day of production and breaks both legs.
Capra’s on his way to Buffalo to watch George and Charlotte in
their matinee to decide if they are right for the parts.
One would think all’s well that ends well, but it
isn’t.
One of the cast members finds out she is pregnant and claims
George is the father. The Hays only daughter, Rosalind, (Lisa
Kraai), brings home her fiance, Howard (Mike Gray), to meet the
parents.
Charlotte finds out about George’s philandering and threatens to
leave him for the family lawyer. George tries to find solace in
alcohol.
Season that with Charlotte’s mother, Ethel, (Betsy Grisard),
hard of hearing and opinionated, and the play is on.
For those who enjoy comedies and like to laugh, by the time this
play is over, you will be breathless.
The level of energy and the quality of the timing pulls this
comedy off like few others.
Morrow’s portrayal of the drunk – and getting more drunk –
George is side-splitting. Gartner’s rendition of a diva on the down
slope is flawless. Burnett and Korman would be proud.
The rest of the cast supports the energy. Gray’s portrayal of
Howard and his case of nerves reminds me of Rowan Atkinson’s Mr.
Bean.
Don’t miss this show. Call (303) 814-7740 or visit
www.crplayers.org.
The doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m., and
the show starts at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 28, March 1 and March 6-9, at
Kirk Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Tickets are $35 and
include a pasta buffet with salad, bread, dessert and a beverage
from Flying Horse Catering. Tickets for the March 6 performance are
$30 for the same meal, wine and the show.
Sponsors are Intermountain Rural Electric Association and
Bankers First Mortgage Corp.