1940s Radio Hour

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

There’s genius afloat in Boulder begging not to be missed under any circumstances. It’s no big secret. They proved their point a long time ago. Boulder’s Dinner Theatre doesn’t need a script. Give them the name of a character, a bare bones scenario, turn them loose on stage, and they have the wherewithal to knock your socks off. Basically, this is what happens with their current production of the 1940’s Radio Hour, It is a bare bones script calling for entrances and exists and certain people cavorting with certain others, directors and managers yelling at everyone, but the details of character development call for actors and director to fill in the minutest details. If the details aren’t filled in, 1940’s Radio Hour can be deadly. Several years ago I had the misfortune of witnessing such an escapade of “dying on the vine.”

The cast of 1940s Radio Hour. at Boulder’s Dinner Theatre.

Not here. Not now.

The Boulder’s Dinner Theatre whisks its audience in magical time back to Christmas of 1942. The theatre transforms itself into a small New York radio station, WOV, in the Hotel Astor’s Algonquin Room for a live musical variety show. The country rallies to the demands of WWII feeding on pop music to keep the spirit alive jiving and jumping.

The set designed by Amy Campion looks, feels, and almost smells of a small radio station including a clock on the wall that no longer runs, an out of order pop machine, an orchestra set on upper stage, a few Christmas lights haphazardly strung around, a huge window looking out into the night air complete with the tell tale signs of a snow storm. Large red applause signs alert the studio audience to go into action. The audience Thursday night hardly needed prompting. Their enthusiasm for what they heard and saw reverberated throughout the theatre.

An old man saunters into the radio station, picking things up, putting things away. Taking awkward difficult steps onto platforms, and squeezing through small spaces. You can almost hear his knees creaking. Shoulders slumped. His moving about quickly catches everyone’s attention as he routinely shuffles through his duties. An independent cuss is Pops. Behind the facade is none other then Wayne Kennedy who has captured a man 20 plus years his senior with righteous dignity and deliberate humor.

One by one, notorious second-rate actors for the radio show arrive with their own air of independence consumed with their own agenda in spite of the stage manager Lou Ann, wonderfully played by Cindy Lawrence, bellowing at them. Lou Ann Takes her job seriously barking orders for rehearsals, while the actors convinced her bark is worse then her bite, ignore her.

Directed and choreographed by Alicia Dunfee, the personalities of the radio actors rummage in down to earth realism paying attention to the tiniest detail. Community theatres should send all of their actors to this production for a comprehensive study on stage business. So much fun stuff going on it is difficult to keep an eye on everyone. No one stands around with hands in his/her pockets. They are all busy being busy, catching up on gossip, flirting, shmoozing with each other, fiddling with whatever, acting perfectly normal and unconcerned over their time frame. Even when harried producer Clifton E. Feddington barks orders at them, their own concerns seem far more important than his. A.K. Klimpke and Kent Sugg share the role of Feddington. Right up front, I will confess, I missed Klimpke in this role, but Sugg’s strong performance as the harassed put upon producer shines with professional aptitude.

Minutes before the Christmas show is to begin, Ginger Brooks wanders around in her black slip responding to fellow actors when they ask, “Are you going to rehearse in that?” with a nonchalant “what’s wrong with this?” The gum chewing Ginger, sticking her gum on the mic when she sings, comes to life through the delicious expertise of Alicia Dunfee. A commercial for ice cream by Ginger becomes a sensual escapade into pure oozing sexuality.

Matt LaFontaine turns delivery boy Wally Ferguson into a bright-eyed bushy-tailed eager I-want-to-be-in-the-show-so-bad-I-can-taste-it-please=give-me-a-chance champion of star struck youth. LaFontaine maintains perpetual adorableness even when he pants after the vixen Connie Miller magnificently played by Joanie Brosseau-Beyette. Connie pushes him aside with distain, but this doesn’t deter Wally. When Wally gets his coveted chance to replace an absent actor, he nearly explodes with puffed up pride.

The lead singer, Johnny Cantone melts the audience with his smooth crooning voice and bedroom eyes securely played by Brian Norber. Johnny secretly, or tries secretly, to tell the second lead singer, Neal Tilden, who thinks he is God’s gift to the singing world, this is his last night. He’s off to the movies. Neal wondrously played by Scott Beyette sees stars shining in his eyes with the hopeful confidence he will now take his rightful place as lead singer. At the same time he is confused as to why Johnny would leave the show just to go to the movies. No, he’s not just going to the movies. He’s going to Hollywood to act in movies.

Johnny’s song Love Is Here To Stay nearly melts the electrical outlets in the theatre. He certainly melted mine. Johnny can’t leave the booze alone. As the show flows, so does Johnny. When he makes his announcement he is leaving, Neal becomes over the top confident he will be named lead singer. He isn’t. It’s Brandon Gill’s BJ Gibson character that Johnny names taking the announcement with pride and stride.

It is BJ who has to fill in at the last minute with Connie and Ginger for Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and does so with humor splashing all over his face. Cliff announces it will be Geneva Lee Browne who will be featured cold in the female trio. Played lusciously by Barb Reeves, Geneva walks out of the studio. She’s been away for a year, and she loudly announces she “doesn’t do anything cold.”

On the air, Neal takes it upon himself to tell Cliff he needs diction lessons. A comedic genius, Beyette takes on the role of a diction coach providing a hilarious moment of quick thinking comedy.

Shelly Cox-Robie provides the sultry Ann Collier with flesh and blood honest believability when she sings Black Magic, and when she sings period.

In a soldier’s uniform reminding everyone a war is being played out, Brian Jackson takes sax playing Biff Baker for a poignant ride choosing to fly a fighter plane, leaving his sax in Cliff’s hands until he returns.

Under the direction of orchestra leader Neal Dunfee, it is a royal treat to have the BDT orchestra right there on stage with its phenomenal outstanding grasp of musicality. Neal Dunfee plays Zoot Doubleman for the production, but it is Dunfee’s expertise that makes the orchestra stand up and talk with its magnificent quality, providing a thrill to see them in action.

The universal memorable songs of the 1940s vibrate with such aliveness they almost sound brand new. Through the songs, and the characterizations, the BDT cast proves again and again why they remain top award winning actors. Songs such as, Kalamazoo, How About You, Ain’t She Sweet, I’ll Never Smile Again, You Go To My Head, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Strike Up The Band, and I’ll Be Seeing You.

Peppered throughout the songs come the riotous commercials for Pepsi Cola, Chiquita Bananas, gingivitis, laxatives, all flavored with WWII reminders.

At the beginning of Act II when the orchestra warms up during a break, Pops takes it upon himself to be a star signing Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, The snarley bet-taker over the station phone, the mop wielding custodian who gets himself locked out in the snow not once or twice, but three times, can’t keep his eyes from shining singing alone in an empty studio.

And what’s a Christmas show without a rendition of A Christmas Carol? With Beyette playing Scrooge, and actors and Pops filling in with the sound effects, Dicken’s Christmas Carol takes a comedic bent only to be continued next week.

I honestly never thought I would see the day when I would be encouraging people to not to miss 1940s Radio Hour, but this is one great production that shouldn’t be missed by anyone.

Just prior to the show, I asked one of the actors in jest, because I already knew the answer, if he was good in this production. Without missing a beat he said, “I’m amazing.” He was absolutely on target, not only for him but for everyone connected with the show from Kennedy’s sound design, to the lighting, to the costumes designed by Linda Morken to the magnificent “amazing” BDT actors whose talent hands the audience the moon on a string.

Make reservations now. It’s a Holiday fun spree of sheer total unadulterated delight with honest laughter, tickled moments, romantic melt-a-ways, and awesome harmony.