Published: Friday, June 12, 2009
'Moonlight and Magnolias' cast nails this fractured film fable
-
Phoenix Theatre presents (from left) Jay Jenkins as Victor Fleming, Paul Custodio as Ben Hecht and Buddy Mahonney as David O. Selznick in "Moonlight and Magnolias."
Overheard at The Phoenix Theatre this weekend:
"This is awesome!"
"It's so funny."
"It's just priceless."
And that was just Act One.
These exuberant exclamations accompanied by a raucous round of applause and hoots and hollers at the close of the first act pretty much sums up how the audience loved The Phoenix Theatre's latest comic offering, "Moonlight and Magnolias."
The Phoenix selected this Ron Hutchinson comedy to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the epic 1939 film, "Gone With the Wind," based on the only novel by Margaret Mitchell.
"Moonlight" tells the more-or-less true story of the early stages of making "Gone With the Wind" when producer David O. Selznick closed down production, fired his director and screenwriter, and hired author Ben Hecht to write a new script. Selznick also removed director Victor Fleming from the set of "Wizard of Oz" to help develop this new script.
The plot follows these three men sequestered in Selznick's office for a week, eating nothing but bananas and peanuts, supplied to them by the ever-dutiful secretary Miss Poppenghu, with the goal of making a new script at the end of the five days.
A caveat to the story exists: Hecht had never read the book (and you don't have to either to enjoy this show). So Selznick and Fleming are forced to act out the book for him with Selznick as Scarlett and Fleming taking on the other roles.
From here, get ready to roll with laughter as the story is launched into the realm of improbable farce with these three men performing pure slapstick and spewing some spot-on witty dialogue and bodacious physical comedy while slowly cracking up.
"Moonlight" is a first-rate hilarious ride through some fractured film history and at one point converges into a cross between the Three Stooges meets Neil Simon that is truly hysterical.
The cast is incredibly strong here with the three male stars sharing Seattle-sized acting talent: Paul Custodio plays Hecht, Buddy Mahoney plays Selznick and Jay Jankins plays Fleming. The chemistry and comic timing is a sheer pleasure to watch.
Phoenix veteran actor Melanie Calderwood is reduced to almost a cameo appearance as Miss Poppenghul but even with just a few spurts on stage, Calderwood still turns on the laugh track.
The New York Daily News might have put it best when they reviewed "Moonlight and Magnolias" by saying: "Frankly, my dear, this is one funny play."
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424, goffredo@heraldnet.com.
"This is awesome!"
"It's so funny."
"It's just priceless."
And that was just Act One.
These exuberant exclamations accompanied by a raucous round of applause and hoots and hollers at the close of the first act pretty much sums up how the audience loved The Phoenix Theatre's latest comic offering, "Moonlight and Magnolias."
The Phoenix selected this Ron Hutchinson comedy to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the epic 1939 film, "Gone With the Wind," based on the only novel by Margaret Mitchell.
"Moonlight" tells the more-or-less true story of the early stages of making "Gone With the Wind" when producer David O. Selznick closed down production, fired his director and screenwriter, and hired author Ben Hecht to write a new script. Selznick also removed director Victor Fleming from the set of "Wizard of Oz" to help develop this new script.
The plot follows these three men sequestered in Selznick's office for a week, eating nothing but bananas and peanuts, supplied to them by the ever-dutiful secretary Miss Poppenghu, with the goal of making a new script at the end of the five days.
A caveat to the story exists: Hecht had never read the book (and you don't have to either to enjoy this show). So Selznick and Fleming are forced to act out the book for him with Selznick as Scarlett and Fleming taking on the other roles.
From here, get ready to roll with laughter as the story is launched into the realm of improbable farce with these three men performing pure slapstick and spewing some spot-on witty dialogue and bodacious physical comedy while slowly cracking up.
"Moonlight" is a first-rate hilarious ride through some fractured film history and at one point converges into a cross between the Three Stooges meets Neil Simon that is truly hysterical.
The cast is incredibly strong here with the three male stars sharing Seattle-sized acting talent: Paul Custodio plays Hecht, Buddy Mahoney plays Selznick and Jay Jankins plays Fleming. The chemistry and comic timing is a sheer pleasure to watch.
Phoenix veteran actor Melanie Calderwood is reduced to almost a cameo appearance as Miss Poppenghul but even with just a few spurts on stage, Calderwood still turns on the laugh track.
The New York Daily News might have put it best when they reviewed "Moonlight and Magnolias" by saying: "Frankly, my dear, this is one funny play."
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424, goffredo@heraldnet.com.
Story tags »
• Theater"Moonlight and Magnolias"
Shows are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through June 28 at The Phoenix Theatre, 9673 Firdale Ave., Edmonds. Tickets are $15 and $20. Call 206-533-2000 or go to www.thephenxtheatre.com or www.brownpapertickets.com.
Comments
(
