Magic Circle in Roseville made their final performance of Moon Over Buffalo to an appreciative and hysterical audience on Saturday night. It has been a long time since I have seen a production of this caliber done by a community theatre group. If this production is any indicator of the quality and professionalism offered by this group, I will be making the journey for more. And, with two theatre venues and an astounding number of offerings each season, finding something to see should be a piece of cake.
Moon Over Buffalo is a backstage farce that rivals, if not surpasses, the ever-popular Noises Off. Magic Circle?s production was first rate on every scale; the terrifically talented cast had not one weak link. Especially well-cast were the lead actors, Simon Hunt (George Hay) and Michelle Pabst (Charlotte Hay). It would be hard to determine which one was more fun to watch. Hunt made a convincing and totally merry drunk, and Pabst managed to change gears from one emotion to the next with dexterity and hilarious results. Just when the mayhem seems to be at its peak, Pabst proves this a falsehood and continues the rising hysteria with vocal and facial expressions that had the audience nearly sick with laughter.
Michael Reinero played the buck-toothed and clueless weatherman, Howard, to perfection. Demonstrating his versatility, he dropped the buffoonery to let everyone glimpse his professional television delivery of the weather, then went right back into his ?real-life? character. The scene when he shows up dressed as General Patton is beyond funny.
Every character was well-cast. Summer Hairabedian played the part of the blonde, not-so-inexperienced, ingenue with great style. Rosemarie Gerould, as the backstage grandmother was equal to her role as well. The three characters that are more or less ?ordinary? are played by Brian Lewis (Richard), Kirk Blackinton, (Paul) and Angela Thompson (Rosalind), and even they have their moments! Angela Thompson, especially, won over the audience with her melt-down during the performance of ?Private Lives.? Schadenfreude (laughter at the pain of others) was alive and well during that debacle!
The timing of this farce was spot-on. The first act was completed in a blazing forty-five minutes that left my seat-mate saying, ?Wow, that was quick!? The amazing thing is that not a laugh, not a line, not an expression was thrown away. The well-rehearsed cast hit every mark and allowed the audience to enjoy every joke while keeping up their madcap pace. The ever-present chase scene was brilliantly performed with not a breath between when one door closed and another opened.
Other production values were equal to the professional acting. The set was solid and withstood the slamming of doors without a shudder. The costuming hit exactly the right note for every character. It was not only appropriate to the era (1953), but it immediately helped the audience to identify who they were watching. It was especially nice to see Eileen (Hairabedian) in a bright green that drew everyone?s eye at the appropriate time. With costuming like this, the audience can keep up with the situations onstage and have fun doing it. Even the wigs were well-chosen, and Thompson?s ?costume? for her embarrassing turn in ?Private Lives? was perfect!
Robert C. Gerould (Executive Producer/Director) has a prodigious list of accomplishments, and in the expert rendition of this production it shows. This is one community theatre that is plugged in and has been going strong for eighteen years. Check out their online web site at www.mcircle.org. Both Magic Circle theatres are located in downtown Roseville, are easy to find, and there is ample seating and parking available. It didn?t take any more time to drive to Roseville than to travel into the city, and believe me, it was worth the trip!
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment