comedy

Moon over Buffalo, a hysterical comedy now at Ridgefield Theater Barn

/ I On The Valley / Leave a comment

We all need a night of laughter and great entertainment.  Now on stage at The Ridgefield Theater Barn is the hilarious comedy “Moon Over Buffalo”.  The comedy will be presented starting May 30th through June 21, 2025.  The play by  Ken  Ludwig  was staged on Broadway in 1995 starring Carol Burnett and ran for over 300 performances. 

The play takes place in Buffalo New York in the early 1950s where we meet George and his wife Charlotte who are both actors and are presenting two plays in their small repartory theatre, Cyrano De Bergerac and Private Lives.  We meet the characters as they have a sword fight to and fro across the Theatre Barn stage.  The sword fight is only a hint of the highly physical comedy that is to come during the two act, two hour performance.

George and Charlotte love the theater, but they crave one last fading hope at starring in a Hollywood feature film.  Such a chance happens when the leading actor in a Frank Capra film is injured and the legendary director is coming to see George and Charlotte perform  in person with the possibility of casting them in the film.

Chaos breaks out in the preparation for the performance.  Joining the cast is Eileen one of the company actors who announces she is pregnant with George’s child.  Also arriving is Roz (the daughter of George and Charlotte) and her fiancé, a television weatherman.  When Charlotte discovers that George has fathered a child she plans to run off with her own lover, Richard.   George starts drinking and runs off.   As Capra will be arriving soon for their performance, the players make a crazy physical chase through the elaborate stage in search of George and aided by Charlotte’s half deaf mother, Ethel.

The pace of comedy becomes frantic, fast and physical.  The Theatre Barn set has numerous doors and a staircase which becomes the backdrop for  a desperate search to find George and somehow stage the play in time before Capra’s arrival.  The laughs are nonstop with wonderful performances from the cast. 

The cast is George Hay – Fred Rueck, Charlotte Hay – Gillian Holt, Ethel – Elayne Gordon. Rosalind – Julia Preis, Howard – Seth von Schmidt, Eileen – Clara Sussmann, Paul – Matthew Donovan, and Richard – Timothy Huber.

Directed by Diana Canova who expertly guides this hilarious and over the top comedy by using every square foot of the stage and directing the actors to deliver their lines with hysterical result.  An evening of laughs not to be missed. The set design was very impressive and really was an important part of the play.

The Ridgefield Theater Barn is a great experience.  The audience in the small intimate space can bring in their own food and drink  to enjoy prior to the performance.  It is a very special venue and the productions are always of high quality.

For tickets and information:https://ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org/

Like I On the Valley on facebook www.facebook.com/ionthevalley

Join our over 30,000 real followers on Instagram for cool and fun places to go https://www.instagram.com/i_on_the_valley/?hl=en

The 39 Steps brings non stop laughs to the Westport Country Playhouse

/ I On The Valley / Leave a comment

We all need a good laugh right now.  Westport Country Playhouse has just what we need , an evening full of laughter.  On stage now at the iconic playhouse is the comedy masterpiece, The 39 Steps.

The 39 Steps is a parody adapted from the John Buchan’s 1915 novel  and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock . The story of intrigue and spies as portrayed in the book  and the movie remains, but the plot is now framed in an over the top physical comedy format. 

The play calls for the entirety of the 1935 adventure film  The 39  Steps to be performed with a cast of only four actors.   It is this constant and brilliant change of characters by the cast plus lightning fast costume changes  that add to the comedic effect. 

Plot:

The story concerns an ordinary bachelor in London , Richard Hannay, , who becomes caught up in preventing an spy ring  from stealing  sensitive British military secrets. Mistakenly accused of the murder of an intelligence agent who tells him about the “39 Steps” ,Hannay goes on the run to Scotland and finds himself mixed up  with an attractive woman.   Trying to avoid the police and while hoping to stop the spy ring and clear his name.  He has found his ordinary and somewhat boring life turned into a real live spy thriller.

The theatrical version keeps the basic  story of the spy thriller, but injects a heavy dose of physical British comedy.    The four actors keep the audience on the edge of their seats with the non -stop action as Richard is chased from London onto a train car and north into Scotland where he attempts to solve the mystery of the spy ring, unmask the 39 Steps and prove he is innocent.  The chase scene on the train is particularly funny.

From start to finish the cast had the Playhouse  audience laughing and clapping through the many jokes, gags,  and innovative use of props.  Homage is paid to Hitchcock himself with his memorable profile on stage, his voice use to introduce the play and the references to his films Dial M For Murder, Psycho, and North By Northwest.

We were laughing throughout the performance and long after the curtain call. For the laughs you need, run to the Westport Country Playhouse and enjoy this hilarious classic comedy.  First rate theater is right in your backyard at this historic and iconic venue.

Cast:

Joe Delafield, Seth Andrew Bridges , Sharone Sayegh, and Evan Zes

Directed by Mark Shanahan (also the Playhouse Artistic  Director)

On stage now through November 9th 2024.

Westport Country Playhouse

25 Powers Court Westport Ct

For tickets and information: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/2024-2025-season/

Like I On the Valley on Facebook www.facebook.com/ionthevalley

Instagram >join our over 30,000 followers for great dining and event ideas https://www.instagram.com/i_on_the_valley/?hl=en

Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld to be honored at GIFF Changemaker Gala, November 13th

/ I On The Valley / Leave a comment

The Greenwich International Film Festival invites you to their 10 Year Anniversary Changemaker Gala honoring Golden Globe and Emmy-winning comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Jessica Seinfeld.  The Gala will be Wednesday November 13, 2024 at L’Escale restaurant in Greenwich.

Jessica Seinfeld is an American author and wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld. She has released five cookbooks about preparing food for families, and is the founder of the GOOD+ Foundation (formerly Baby Buggy), a New York City based charity.

Jerry Seinfeld is the well known comedian and star of the iconic sitcom “Seinfeld” which is considered one of the best television comedies of all time.  Jerry then he has since created and produced the reality series  The Marriage Ref  (2010–2011), and created and hosted the series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (2012–2019). He also co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in the animated film Bee Movie (2007) and  Unfrosted (2024) which is currently on Netflix.

The Gala will include an awards presentation by Amy Schumer, music by MOJO with After Party with DJ April Larke. Proceeds from the event will support the Children’s Museum of Manhattan Family Connections program, which reunites parents incarcerated on Rikers Island and their children for an afternoon of play and learning at the museum.

GIFF’s Changemaker Award honors artists who have used their public platform and the power of film to further positive social change. Past honorees include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Eva Longoria Baston, John Legend, Ashley Judd, Renée Zellweger, Christy Turlington Burns, Freida Pinto, Trudie Styler, Abigail Breslin, Harry Belafonte and Mia Farrow. 

For more information and tickets for this special event

https://www.greenwichfilm.org/upcoming-events/

Like I on the Valley on Facebook www.facebook.com/ionthevalley

Instagram join our over 30,000 followers for fun events, and dining https://www.instagram.com/i_on_the_valley/?hl=en