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The Last Night of Ballyhoo
There is a recurring situation that seems to keep popping up in our metroplex theatre seasons for the
last few years. It seems that each time a new play or musical is released to be produced, this city is
bombarded with three to five productions of that one play/musical in one season. For example, last
season's choice was Dancing At Lughnasa, I think I can safely say that this season it's The
Last Night of Ballyhoo. Right off hand I can think of four or five local theatres that have already
done this Alfred Uhry 1997 Tony award winner (Best Play). Thankfully, I have only seen one production
previously.
Now, having said this, I can also safely say that, when you have seen two (if not more) productions
of the same piece, you are going to compare. In fact at intermission some thespians in the lobby were
already comparing GCT's production to others they had caught so far this season of Ballyhoo. So I
know I am not going out on a limb by saying that I too compared Garland Civic Theatre's to the other one
I saw. It's only natural, we all do it.
Now, having said that, I can honestly also say that I can judge and view GCT's production on its own
merits and values. Thus, the end result is for the most part a solid cast, some interesting and unique
choices in acting & direction, all placed upon a beautiful set, but some performers dressed in some
choices in costuming.
Kelly Cox's set is sugar brown wood with sun yellow wallpaper surrounding the cast, thus "Lala" is
surrounded by "Sunny" 24 hours a day! The upper level is the dining room, done in powder blue and
adorned with tasteful props. I have not seen that many GCT productions, but this set is one of the most
beautiful creations that I have seen out there.
Dallas Costume Shoppe always does a superb job in costuming (Can-Can, Ravenscroft), but here I
am left scratching my head. I could not comprehend why some characters were wearing the same costume
through-out the act. Lala, for example, wears a chocolate brown jersey dress practically the whole
evening, even when various characters have let us know several days have passed! Also, the choices for
the girls' Ballyhoo gowns were either ill-fitting or did not create the laugh that was required. I don't
know if it's in the script or not, but in another production, Lala came down the stairs in a superb
replica of Scarlet O'Hara's hoop gown creation that she wore in the famous BBQ scene. Lala does wear a
hoop skirt creation of white chiffon, but the great sight gag is lost here. Also Sunny's blue gown looks
high-water and doesn't drape the actress properly. The men's suits do look dashing on the three male
actors, however.
I must note here that on the day of opening night, the original actress who plays Boo (Carol M. Rice)
became ill. Thus Director Andi Allen took over the role with script in hand.
Director Allen does a beautiful job of creating "picture windows" on Cox's charming set. Allen uses
the stairs and upper level to create a mood or to "frame" an emotion to great effect. But what I
particularly admired of Allen's direction was making her company of actors look natural on the set. For
example, when Adolph tells the story of his first crush to Sunny, the actors use the furniture as
everyday life, not as "the set". Also Allen has the company pushing that pace! Brava! She knows to get
that exposition out fast, get to the heart of the piece, thus not making the piece feel like we are in
slow motion, but pushing the pace at a brisk, natural speed.
I cannot say the same however for the blackouts. The blackouts are just too slow and they stop the
wonderful pace that the cast had just set. I can understand if you need to move a whole set to bring
another one on, or that you might need to have 10-12 seconds of black-out, but to just set a card table,
or to place actors, the blackouts were just too long and sucked the life out the pace that the company
had just created for the audience.
Like I said earlier, there are some interesting choices in both acting and direction. For the most
part Allen and her company succeed. An example of an interesting choice: in act two Lala is confronted
with the news that a girl she went to college with will be at the party. This causes her to faint on the
floor, thus causing her mother to rip whatever dignity and self esteem she has to shreds. This can be a
heartbreaking scene to watch unfold. In this production, both actresses (Allen & Amber Ogle) lay the
scene in comedic overtones, which I must confess made me laugh out loud. I'm not saying one way is
right, the other wrong, but the fact that this one scene could be played in two different ways shows
that one director's vision can be totally different from that of another director.
Amber Ogle gives Lala at times a little too much over the top antics. I know she is trying to make
her annoying, but she is at such a high pitch of volume and energy that she has no where to go in act
one. While it is humorous, this "theme" runs out of steam by the end of the act. Thankfully, Ogle pulls
back and gives Lala shading and deep honesty for the second act. Here she won me over; she gave Lala
true sense and purpose. I totally believed her in act two, now she just needs to inject this into act
one.
Andi Allen played Boo with just amazing skill, even with the script in her hands. Ten minutes into
the play I totally forgot about that appendage of script attached to her hand; my mind thought it was a
fan. That's a brilliant actress at work if you ask me. Allen wears a "Bette Davis Ala Regina" wig from
The Little Foxes that really gives Boo some great subtext. While Allen's southern accent may
sound all sweet belle and all, Allen gives it a sly cake of cold ice. Thus, you don't realize that she
just slapped you in the face with her so called "southern charm". Allen also uses her face to show
honest distaste for what is said at times on the stage - not over the top, but naturally.
Caroline Blackwell's Sunny was a creation of book smart "hidden closet" Jew with a hint of "just want
to fall in love" motif. She and her love interest had the best chemistry in the production. Blackwell
kept Sunny always a step away from Lala, thus letting you see the subtext that these two girls have
always competed.
Nancy Roberts' interpretation of Reba does make you laugh, with her "I'm an airhead"-like comments on
what is said or what has taken place on the stage, but Roberts delivers these comic one liners in the
upper vocal register, thus causing them to come out in a sing-song/one-tone vocal quality. She needs to
play more with the lower register of her voice to change the impact of her speaking voice. I at times
felt she was pushing too hard for the laugh, thus going a little over the top, but she did have
beautiful chemistry with her daughter (Blackwell), thus giving Reba nice overtones of motherly love.
As for the men in the cast, each one gave an outstanding performance from start to finish. Regan
Adair proved to me that his performance in RTC's Deathtrap was not a "one time glory"
performance, for here he again earns his kudos as truly a gifted actor that directors need to keep an
eye on for future casting. Adair has the Brooklyn dialect down pat. It never comes out false or fake,
but normal and extremely believable. But again, he shows how the acting craft is to be used. His
performance is honest, natural, organic. You feel as though you are not looking at an actor, but just
everyday life breathing in him; that's what acting in such pieces should be. What capped off an already
outstanding performance was his final scene in the compartment aboard the Crescent Limited with
Blackwell. He showed honest love and pain for almost losing the girl he loves and you feel that. Adair
once again steals the show.
Steve Roberts comes a very close second in the "walk away with the show" award. Roberts has the best
comic timing and delivery of the cast. He does not go into "waka, waka, waka" mode, but instead delivers
his comic one liners as normal conversation, thus receiving the loudest laughs from the audience. But
his depth to commitment in his character's softer moments are quite magical to witness unfold on the
stage.
Finally, Matthew Edwards, while having the smallest role in the cast, does hit the mark of the
irritating feel that Peachy has within him along with his tasteless racism views. Edwards is superbly
costumed in hey daddio suits to match his energetic face and mannerisms.
Overall, I very much enjoyed GCT's Ballyhoo. Allen and her company did justice to Uhry's work.
I think with a few more performances the subtext that was missing in some of the performances will match
the rest of the cast. Once that happens, it will become an even more enjoyable evening of theatre.
The Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry runs through April 8, 2001 at Garland Civic Theatre.
Directed by Andi Allen
Produced by Mitch Carr
Set Design-Kelly Cox
Lighting-Mike Garner
Costumer-Dallas Costume Shoppe
CAST
Lala Levy-Amber Ogle
Reba Freitag-Nancy Roberts
Boo Levy-Carol M. Rice
Adolph Freitag-Steve Roberts
Joe Farkas- Regan Adair
Sunny Freitag- Caroline Blackwell
Peachy Weil- Matthew J. Edwards
-- John Garcia
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