Curtain Call
Early Bird troupe favors Parker’s frolicking farce
By LEE CLARK ZUMPE
| Article published on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007 |
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| The cast of “Never Kiss a Naughty Nanny,” playing through Dec. 23 at Early Bird Dinner Theatre. Seated, from left, are Greta Kishbaugh, Barbara Anthony, Ronald Farnham and Michael Crockett; standing, from left, are Toby Manion, Ian MacCullum and Tracy Borgatti. |
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Ed Fletcher’s Early Bird Dinner Theatre recently accepted the challenge of hosting the world premiere of playwright Michael Parker’s new farce.
Simply put, “Never Kiss a Naughty Nanny” couldn’t be in better hands.
The play runs through Dec. 23. Performances are Thursday through Sunday, with seating at 4 p.m. Matinees are Thursday and Saturday, with seating at 11 a.m.
Set in the present, all the action takes place in “the house of the future,” located somewhere in Wisconsin. With a wide assortment of zany, supposedly visionary accoutrements, the house has languished on the market. Developer and builder Mr. Broadbent (played by Toby Manion) hatches an elaborate – and axiomatically absurd – plan to convince potential buyers Gladys and Fred McNicoll (Barbara Anthony and Ronald Farnham) to purchase the property.
Broadbent commissions real estate office workers Ben Adams (Ian MacCallum) and Casey Cody (Tracy Borgatti) to pose as a married couple renting the house so that they can demonstrate all of the house’s allegedly innovative features ... features which either don’t work or don’t work correctly. To try to keep the house running smoothly, Broadbent assigns handyman Mr. Cott (also Toby Manion), with the understanding that he remains incommunicado throughout the episode.
Of course, neither the house nor Broadbent’s plan runs smoothly as Parker’s play progresses. Things unravel at breakneck pace as one preposterous incident leads to the next. Facade evolves into burlesque as characters accrue more and more false identities to suit each situation.
Adams turns out to be the most reluctant of all the deceivers, and MacCallum plays the part with a mix of John Ritter’s waggish wit and Don Knott’s charming awkwardness. His foil, Borgatti’s Cody, is ever the timekeeper on stage, sustaining the necessary momentum and ensuring that there’s never a lull in the comic commotion.
Greta Kishbaugh portrays hired chef Sue Johnson, the only character who seems capable of keeping up with all the plot’s many machinations. Kishbaugh’s range enables her to seem bouncy and effervescent one moment and mischievous the next.
Farnham is splendidly subservient in his role as the downtrodden husband smothered by an overbearing wife. Anthony is a powerhouse, playing the tyrannical Gladys McNicoll to the hilt. Michael Crockett, who plays the smitten Walter Brooks, probably has the least amount of stage time in the play but manages to stir up laughs with each appearance.
Manion reigns supreme on stage, putting on several different faces during the course of the play and easily gleaning the most laughter from the audience. Parker has developed a most memorable character in Mr. Cott – the kind of role actors surely dream of landing.
Director Robin New deserves considerable credit for bringing “Never Kiss a Naughty Nanny” to the stage successfully. There are technical complexities involved – particularly in synchronizing certain sound effects – that might put off a lesser company.
With its many twists and turns, “Never Kiss a Naughty Nanny” is at heart a classically campy farce, complete with mistaken identities and ludicrous situations. Sure to bring a smile, Parker’s new play benefits from the professional treatment afforded it by Early Bird’s gifted troupe.
Tickets are $29.90 plus tax. Cost includes musical entertainment, dinner and the show.
The Early Bird Dinner Theatre is at the Italian American Club, 200 S. McMullen Booth Road. Call 446-5898 or visit www.earlybirddinnertheatre.com.
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Article published on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007
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