ENTERTAINMENT

‘Moon Over Buffalo’ opens at Pax Amicus

BILL NUTT
CORRESPONDENT

When Richard Boyer read the script to “Moon Over Buffalo,” he was moved to tears.

Of laughter.

“Few things make me cry,” says Boyer, a resident of Budd Lake. “But reading this script and imagining it on the stage, I was crying.”

Boyer hopes that audiences will be similarly teary-eyed with the production of “Moon Over Buffalo” that opens Saturday at Pax Amicus Castle Theatre.

“Moon Over Buffalo” was written by Ken Ludwig, whose credits include the play “Lend Me a Tenor” and the book of “Crazy for You.” Boyer says that he appreciates Ludwig’s skill at creating farcical situations wedded to wacky dialogue.

Boyer cites such lines as “Buffalo. It’s like Scranton without the charm” as an example of Ludwig’s sense of humor. “There are so many great lines,” he says.

“Moon Over Buffalo” follows a theatrical troupe in the 1950s headed by George Hay (played by Lou Cusano of East Hanover) and his wife Charlotte (Mary Margaret Fitzpatrick of Randolph). The Hays are performers whose stardom is behind them.

At the beginning of the play, Charlotte is fed up with George’s roving eye, especially after his one-night stand with an actress in the company (Eileen Fitzpatrick of Stanhope, Mary Margaret Fitzpatrick’s real-life sister).

But just as Charlotte is about to leave George, they receive word that the noted director Frank Capra is going to attend one of their productions, possibly because Capra wants to cast the couple in his next movie.

What follows is a whirlwind of slamming doors and mistaken identity. “It’s a great farce,” Boyer says. “You find yourself giggling at even the smallest things.”

(Boyer is pulling double-duty on this production. Besides directing the play, he is also portraying a lawyer who is romantically pursuing Charlotte.)

Lou Cusano says that he the role of George appeals to him. “He’s not a one-dimensional character. He has his flaws. But he stands by his daughter (Roz, played by Amy Easton of Lake Hopatcong).”

In addition, Cusano identifies with George’s appreciation for the arts. Cusano himself is a studio painter for Morris County Art Association in Morristown.

“I see George and Charlotte as two lovable vagabonds,” Cusano says. “They’re touched by the muse. They live in that world of the theater.”

But though he identifies with aspects of George’s personality, Cusano says that the character is a challenge from a physical standpoint. During the play has to engage in a fencing match and a wrestling bout, along with other pratfalls.

“I try to stay in shape anyway,” says Cusano. “This is a demanding role. You have to be up for almost anything.”

For her part, Mary Margaret Fitzpatrick enjoys the relationship between Charlotte and George. “Yes, Charlotte wants to kill George,” she says. “But she loves him, and it’s clear that they belong together.”

Fitzpatrick adds that some moments in the play strike a chord with anyone who has been involved in the theater. She singles out a moment when, in the play-within-the play, George’s entrance on stage is delayed and Roz has to improvise.”

“It’s a great moment, and Amy (East) is doing it beautifully,” Fitzpatrick says. “I think almost anyone can relate to it. If you’ve ever done theater, you’ve had a moment like that.”

But Fitzpatrick says that, even without a theatrical experience, a playgoer will appreciate “Moon Over Buffalo.” “It’s so off-the-wall,” she says. “When we had our read-through, it was a hoot, and it’s only going to be better on the stage.”

MOON OVER BUAFFALO

WHAT: This farce by Ken Ludwig (author of “Lend Me a Tenor”) focuses on George and Charlotte Hay, two has-been actors who run a traveling repertory theater troupe in the 1950s. Complications ensue brought on by infidelity, ego, and mistaken identity.

WHEN: May 2 through 17, performance schedule:

• 8 p.m. Saturday, May 2, 9 and 16

• 8 p.m. Friday, May 8

• 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3 and 17

WHERE: Pax Amicus Castle Theatre, 23 Lake Shore Road, Budd Lake

TICKETS: $20

INFORMATION: 973-691-2100 or www.paxamicus.com.