Opening With Boeing-Boeing

In 1991 it was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most performed French play worldwide. Marc Camoletti’s Boeing-Boeing premiered in Paris in late 1960. The classic mdi-twentieth century farce was translated into English a short while later. It’s become an enduring comedy classic which opens this season with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. Coming as it does in August every year, the first show of the season for  Milwaukee Chamber Theatre serves as the opening of the Milwaukee Theatre season. It’s nice to see them open the season with a light comedy directed by UWM Alumni and Youngblood Theatre co-founder Michael Cotey. 

Brian J. Gill plays a single man who is engaged to wed three single women. Neither one of the women knows about the other two. Their all flight attendants who all find themselves arriving in Paris at the same time, which complicates things the way things are usually complicated in a farce. Cotey and company bring together a really good cast here. It’s nice to see Amber Smith in another big stage production as fiancee Gabriella. She’s good with comedy and has shown clever instincts for farce on the small stage in the past. Samantha Sosatrich (who plays fiancee Gretchen) is a musical theater talent who has also shown a deft grasp of comedy in a variety of different formats including Kohl’s Wild Theater with the Milwaukee Zoo. I’m not as familiar with Anna Walaszek who plays fiancee Gloria. She’s shown-up in a number of different productions over the years having studied acting at UW-Parkside. I’m looking forward to seeing Marcella Kearns is Bernard’s housekeeper. She’s one of Milwaukee’s most consistently brilliant comic actresses. This might be a marginal role in an ensemble, but it’ll be fun to see her here all the same. The same could be said of Ryan Schabach, who plays an old friend of Bernard’s from Wisconsin. 

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's production of Boeing, Boeing runs Aug, 13 - 30. For more information, visit Milwaukee Chamber online.