Timing, hard work elevate Buffalo Theatre's 'Leading Ladies'
One thing about the enthusiastic cast members of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble's “Leading Ladies,” they work hard. Especially leading men Robert Jordan Bailey and Bryan Burke, whose performances demonstrate not only great comic timing but boundless energy.
Most of the heavy lifting in director Kurt Naebig's peppery production of Ken Ludwig's 2004 comedy falls to the able Bailey and Burke, who play unemployed actors looking to make some quick cash impersonating a wealthy dowager's long-lost relatives. The BTE veterans throw themselves wholeheartedly into this show, which tips its hat to Billy Wilder's classic 1959 comedy “Some Like It Hot,” and they receive well-deserved guffaws for their efforts.
But dedication, timing and hard work can't make a first-rate comedy out of this creaky, second-tier farce by Ludwig, author of the frequently revived “Moon Over Buffalo” and “Lend Me A Tenor.”
That said, Naebig and company kept me and the rest of the opening night audience laughing. Propelled by quick costume changes and comic high jinks, the production is funny, well-staged, and for the most part, well-acted.
Burke plays Leo Clark to Bailey's Jack Gable (Clark Gable, get it?), out-of-work, classically trained, British actors touring small-town America in the late 1950s performing “Scenes from Shakespeare,” mashups made up of well-known lines from famous tragedies. Down to their last dollar, they learn about Florence (a feisty Loretta Hauser), an ailing, elderly heiress from York, Pennsylvania searching for her long-lost nephews for the purpose of bestowing on them her fortune.
Leo and Jack decide to impersonate the prodigals, who they discover are nieces, not nephews. Undeterred, the duo don drag in an effort to dupe Florence and her family, which includes sweet-tempered aspiring actress Meg (Christina Gorman) and her suspicious, officious, minister fiance Duncan (Garry Simmers), who's determined to unmask “Stephanie” and “Maxine” as frauds.
Melody Jeffries plays bombshell coed Audrey, who catches Jack's eye. Rounding out the cast is Doug Scheutz, who plays Florence's rather inept doctor and Grant Schumacher, as the doctor's son Butch.
Balancing bluster with sincerity, Burke fleshes out the driven Leo, whose affection for Meg derails his con. The expressive Bailey has a natural warmth and his pantomime as the mute Stephanie, is a hoot.
Early scenes involving some of the secondary characters felt a bit sluggish. But as the actors settled into their roles, the pace picked up leading to a rollicking second act, which concludes with a frenzied, funny “reverse curtain call” suggested by Ludwig, but given a tweaking by Naebig.
Also deserving mention is designer Allison R. Amidei, whose many costumes including everything from breezy 1950s frocks to impressive, brightly-hued Elizabethan garb.
One final note, “Leading Ladies” includes sexual innuendo — more naughty than bawdy — that may not be appropriate for young or sensitive audience members.
“Leading Ladies”
★ ★ ★
<b>Location:</b> Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, College of DuPage, Building K Theater, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org
<b>Showtimes:</b> 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday through Sept. 11
<b>Running time:</b> About 2 hours, 30 minutes with intermission
<b>Parking: </b>Lot adjacent to the theater
<b>Tickets:</b> $28-$36; $26-$34 for students/seniors
<b>Rating: </b>For older teens and adults, includes sexual innuendo