PREVIEW: Noises Off at Phoenix Theatre

If you’re going to stage a bad sex farce, you’d better have a great cast.

Michael Frayn’s backstage farce, Noises Off, follows a third rate company as they gamely try to mount “Nothing On” across England, self-destructing along the way.

At Phoenix Theatre, guest director Matthew Weiner has filled the stage with a veritable who’s who of Valley talent. The cast includes Cathy Dresbach, Joe Kremer, Maren MacLean, Mike Lawler, Andi Watson, Christopher Williams, LeeAnn Dearing and Robert Kolby Harper, any of whom could headline a show by themselves.

Noises Off is a rare comedic marvel, a sex farce that takes place onstage in the first act, then backstage for the second act as the actors duke it out silently behind the set, and back on stage as the show devolves into all-out anarchy later in the run.

Carol Burnett and Patti LuPone have played Dotty Otley, the theatrical “grande dame” reduced to touring in stock, and Dresbach is their worthy Phoenix counterpart. It’s not easy acting opposite a plate of sardines, but Dresbach will make it work. In the play within a play, Dotty is playing Mrs. Clackett, the housekeeper charged with keeping the house in order while its owners are abroad, evading taxes.

The so-called empty house becomes a magnet for all of the rest of the cast, playing folks intent on having a little uninterrupted fun.
Misunderstandings, jealousies and the occasional drinking problem among the actors lead to all out war. The whole set rotates each act to show the battles onstage and off, before all is settled with “a nice plate of sardines.”

Phoenix Theatre is kicking off their 90th season with this classic comedy.

PREVIEW: Church Basement Ladies at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre

Sometimes LGBT people have a strained relationship with their religion. It’s typically in the guise of righteous piety that the worst offenses are done against the LGBT community. But churches don’t always have to exclude people, and it’s comforting when a show celebrates the kinder, gentler side of religion.

Church Basement Ladies at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Mesa, introduces the homey women who cook the food for a rural Minnesota Lutheran church. These are the women who know everything that’s happening in their house of the Lord, and even if they butt heads sometimes, they still love and appreciate each other.

It’s 1965, so the women aren’t as progressive as their 2010 counterparts. The cast of characters includes the elderly matriarch of the kitchen and a young bride-to-be as they deal with situations like a record-breaking Christmas dinner, the funeral of a friend, a Hawaiian Easter fundraiser and a wedding. Songs like “The Pale Food Polka” and “Dead Spread” prove that these ladies have a sense of humor along with their sense of duty.

Church Basement Ladies isn’t going to tackle any deep social problems, but it will whisk you back in time to meet four wise women who might remind you of your grandmother, complete with Broadway Palm’s buffet that would do these church ladies proud.

REVIEW: Lend Me A Tenor at Arizona Broadway Theatre

If you want to see farce done well, with a well-done dinner, Arizona Broadway Theatre’s production of Lend Me A Tenor will make you laugh all night and leave you with a smile. Director Kiel Klaphake, an esteemed tenor in his own right, directs Ken Ludwig’s complicated farce with a sure hand, and is ably supported by a terrific cast.

Set on a gorgeous art deco hotel room set, Tenor tells the story of lovable schmuck Max (Michael Wolter) who gets everything he wants by impersonating a presumed dead tenor (Roy Hunt).

Tenor is Ludwig’s best play, but it takes talented actors to pull it off. Fortunately, there isn’t a weak link in the cast, so by the time they finish the show by acting out the whole play in super fast forward, you’ll have enjoyed a satisfying night at the theater.

VITAL STATISTICS

Noises Off Through Sept. 12 Phoenix Theatre 100 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix Tickets: $29.50-$61.50 602-254-2151; www.phoenixtheatre.com

Church Basement Ladies Through Sept. 25 Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre 5247 E. Brown Road, Mesa Tickets: $22-$28 for show only; $45-$54 for show and dinner 480-325-6700; www.broadwaypalmwest.com

Lend Me A Tenor Through Sept. 26 Arizona Broadway Theatre 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria Tickets: $55.50-$79.50, including dinner 623-776-8400; www.azbroadwaytheatre.com