Review: HALF BAKED at Hanover Little Theatre

Published in 2022, Joe Simonelli’s play Half Baked takes the stage at Hanover Little Theatre under the direction of Mathew Barninger with assistant director Deborah Williams. Half Baked takes place in Central Florida where brothers Sonny and Jay Allen, with their wives Veronica and Martha Allen, attempt to figure out how to make their café successful. The lack of customers turns out to be the least of their troubles. The stellar cast and crew at Hanover Little Theatre bring the characters to life and keep the audience laughing.

The set, costumes, lighting, and sound are delightful, with colors and décor that give off just the right Florida vibe. The show opens strong, introducing the audience to Sonny and Veronica Allen, portrayed by Dave Miller and Joan Crooks. Miller and Crooks work well together, delving into Veronica and Sonny’s relationship with one another as well as with the other characters in the show. Miller delivers a hilarious monologue in the second act, commanding the stage with his energy. Crooks is utterly believable as Veronica, capturing the audience’s attention with her carefully crafted line delivery, facial expressions, and comedic timing. Suzanne Williamson and Douglas Cooper take on the roles of Martha and Jay Allen. Williamson’s Martha is a force to be reckoned with as she vents about her frustrations with her husband. Cooper’s comedy chops come in handy in the role of Jay Allen, particularly in his scenes with Kelsey Kohler’s Nadia and his fight scenes with Williamson’s Martha.

Kohler has spectacular stage presence and really brings the role of Nadia to life. She shows great versatility in the second act when her character is involved in a major plot twist. Paul Norfolk and Jeb Beard round out the cast as Marty Minkoff and Ethan Preston. Norfolk infuses Marty Minkoff—detective and Martha’s ex-boyfriend from high school—with the perfect amount of swagger and charm. Beard takes on the role of Ethan Preston, a phone-obsessed Millennial who works as a Justin Bieber tribute performer (though he sounds just like Elvis) and podcaster. Beard encapsulates the stereotypical Millennial, and his Elvis-esque voice and moves are thrilling.

Barninger and his cast and crew give a great performance of Half Baked, highlighting the comedy, and teasing out the subtleties in the relationships between the characters. Audiences can enjoy this comedy at Hanover Little Theatre through November 19th. Performances are already selling out, so get your tickets now!

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