BWW Reviews: MOON OVER BUFFALO Shimmers at Studio Theatre of Bath

The Studio Theatre of Bath at The Chocolate Church

May 26, 2013In his in vino veritas speech near the end of Ken Ludwig's comedy, Moon Over Buffalo, George Hay voices a nostalgic paean to the "wicked life upon the stage." Like several of Ludwig's other plays, Moon Over Buffalo is a predictable, but gently amusing look at a troupe of actors treading the boards in out-of-town theatres, ever dreaming about the big break.

The central pair, George and Charlotte Hay, are indeed modeled after Kiss Me Kate's Fred and Lily. They are a feuding married couple, stage veterans whose long marriage and equally long stage partnership have brought them to Buffalo, a town that theatre jokes often equate with "the end of the road." The revolving door farce both adheres to and mocks the conventional forms of this kind of comedy of manners. It relies for its success on well-defined, sympathetic characters and impeccable comedic timing.

The Studio Theatre of Bath's production, for the most part, succeeds. Theirs is a serviceable, often stylish romp that seems to gain momentum as the play progresses. Thom Watson's direction is crisp and economical, and the cast delivers lively, credible performances.

Wayne Otto stands out in his portrayal of the divo George Hay, resisting the temptation to camp the character and managing the transitions from humor to pathos. He is particularly effective in his second act drunk scene, at once hilarious and touching. One could wish for a bit more vocal bravado as the aging actor, but Otto is nonetheless amusing, believable, and even endearing.

As his wife Charlotte Tamara Lilly delivers her character's sharp-tongued barbs with gusto, and she, too, manages not to cross the line into caricature. Again, one misses, at least in the onstage scenes, the grande dame artifice most certainly part of Charlotte's dramatic repertoire.

April Purinton as their daughter Rosalind turns in an extremely accomplished performance. Her timing is flawless, and she manages to convey both facets if the character with ease - the ingénue trying to escape the life on the stage and the hilarious actress called upon to save the play. Max Ater as her romantic interest turns in a dapper performance as Paul, playing the straight man in an appealing, unaffectEd Manner. As Howard, the shy and reluctant fiancé, Colin Kelley contributes a fine cameo. Rounding out the cast are Amanda Bobbe as the ditsy blond paramour, Clay Hawks as Charlotte's pedestrian lover, and Ann Scarponi as a somewhat bland Granny.

The sets by Galen Tewes, Wayne Otto, and Thom Watson offer the requisite doorways for characters to come and go in this farce, and the drab décor aptly suggests the banality of the run down Buffalo theatre. The costumes by Ann Scarponi, Lynne Otto, and Christina Boyington, despite obvious budget constraints, create a credible sense of period. Eli Jackson's lighting and Collin Kelley's sound design are workmanlike. Admirably the actors all manage to project without microphones despite the problematic acoustic of the Chocolate Church.

All in all, the Studio Theatre of Bath's production of Moon Over Buffalo is a pleasingly professional , often engaging performance of Ken Ludwig's play.

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