Wild ‘Buffalo’ Interplayers Serves Up Ludwig Farce ‘Moon Over Buffalo’
The backstage farce is one of the guilty pleasures of theater. Who can resist two solid hours of pure mindlessness, especially when the plot involves pompous actors, obnoxious directors and the inevitable drunk or two?
The British long ago perfected this genre, and now playwright Ken Ludwig has emerged as one of the few American masters of this venerable, if goofy, tradition. Ludwig had a huge hit with “Lend Me a Tenor” on Broadway in 1989, about a Pavarotti-like buffoon hired by a small Cleveland opera company. “Lend Me a Tenor” went on to become a hit in many regional theaters around the country, including the Interplayers Ensemble.
Now Interplayers is hoping for a similar hit with “Moon Over Buffalo,” Ludwig’s 1995 attempt to duplicate his “Tenor” success. The Broadway production, starring Carol Burnett and Philip Bosco, had a decidedly mixed reception. Some of the reviews were savage, and Ludwig’s script was particularly singled out for blame. However, audiences flocked to see Burnett, and it ended up getting some nice positive notices. Time magazine called it “fast and farcical” and said that Ludwig has a gift for “making the conventional convivial.”
The show’s famously difficult run was chronicled in brilliant fashion by documentary filmmakers who had unrestricted backstage access. The resulting documentary, “Moon Over Broadway,” didn’t stick around long in theaters, but the video is an absolute must-see for anyone interested in Broadway theater in particular, or in the fascinating group dynamics of theater in general.
As the movie made clear, Burnett’s presence (and her undeniable ability to make comedy out of disaster) kept the show alive. It went on to have a relatively long Broadway run, and has since gone on to be a popular regional theater choice, much like “Lend Me a Tenor.”
Ludwig has set this play up as a tale of tantalizing Hollywood dreams. The year is 1953, and an aging stage couple, George and Charlotte Hay, are in the midst of a dispiriting tour of the smaller markets. They’re in Buffalo, performing two old warhorses in repertory, “Cyrano” and “Private Lives.” They’re having trouble meeting the payroll and fighting rear-guard actions against their own cast when suddenly The Call comes.
Movie director Frank Capra is filming “The Twilight of the Scarlet Pimpernel,” and his lead actor and actress have canceled on him. Capra is planning to fly out to Buffalo the next day to catch George and Charlotte Hay in the matinee and - maybe - turn them into the Hollywood stars they deserve to become.
Farce being farce, things go disastrously wrong. Suffice to say that doors will be slammed, intentions will be misread and mistakes will be compounded. Expect plenty of wild chases, double entendres and drunken escapades.
Joan Welch, a veteran of farce, is the director.
Charlotte Hay (the Carol Burnett role) will be played by Christina Lang, familiar from this year’s “Angel Street” and many other Interplayers performances. George Hay (the Philip Bosco role) will be played by Sean Morgan, who returns to Interplayers after many years absence. Morgan is a veteran of the old “Ozzie and Harriet Show” on TV, as well as many episodes of the original “Star Trek.”
Other cast members include Gail Smith-Reynolds, Alexandra Kuntzsch, Tony Mason, Shanda Russell, Steven L. Barron, Michael Weaver, Kasey Kilgore, James Quinn and Jonah Weston.
ON STAGE `Moon Over Buffalo’ Interplayers serves up Ludwig farce `Moon Over Buffalo’ The Spokane Interplayers Ensemble will present “Moon Over Buffalo” Friday through June 14. Curtain time is 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Matinees are at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Wednesday and May 22. Tickets are $17.10 and $14.80. Friday’s opening night performance is a discount performance at $13.65. All matinees are also $13.65. Patrons under 25 can attend any performance for $10. Also, “Lunch Hour Hot Tix” are offered for $10 between noon and 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Interplayers box office for that evening’s shows only. Limit of two. Call 455-PLAY for tickets. Interplayers is located at 174 S. Howard.