TOO MANY COOKS: Review

Board member and The Drawer Boy director Joshua Antoon stopped in this week to watch a dress rehearsal of Marcia Kash & Douglas E. Hughes's Too Many Cooks. Check out his insights below and don't forget to order your tickets NOW!

The Bobcat Players' summer show, Too Many Cooks, is a fast-paced farce and explosive (#spoilers) entry to their 2018 season. Under the direction of Rosh Raines, the cast of quirky characters hits all the punch lines for an enjoyable and funny theatrical experience. The cast is filled out with both Bobcat veterans and newcomers to take up the mantle of telling a story that takes place in Niagara Falls during the prohibition era at a new gourmet restaurant, Chateau Bubbalowe. Irving Bubbalowe (John Brenner) and his daughter, Honey (McKenna Pontoli), have risked everything they have to open Chateau Bubbalowe. When their star, the renowned singing chef François LaPlouffe, fails to appear, the grand opening is suddenly placed in jeopardy. Luckily (or unluckily) an unemployed chef Frank Plunkett (Adam Speers) wanders in looking for work and Honey persuades him to masquerade as the missing LaPlouffe. All the while, notorious gangster Alfonse “Noodles” Feghetti (Kevin McGuire) and his brutish sidekick Shirley (Andrew Mayle) arrive looking for a missing shipment of bootlegged liquor, courtesy of a disgruntled employee (Clarence Seybert). Mix in a hot-blooded immigration officer (Casey Novak) and a pinch of a suspicious Mountie (Eric Armstrong) and “BAM!” - a recipe for chaos and disaster! The cast expertly navigates the difficult waters of performing the quick pace needed for a farce. Their energy grabs the audience at the very beginning and let’s go for only brief moments to catch its breath. Then it’s on to the next crazy moment provided by the cast of characters. Too Many Cooks follows the traditional characteristics of a farce: physical and verbal humor, misidentifications, and fun stereotypical characters. Raines’ direction expertly juggles the ins and outs of the show (Literally! The set has 6 different exits and entrances!). He has guided these actors to be a well-oiled machine. The entire cast easily and seamlessly navigates the action that takes place on stage and does not miss a beat. The audience will definitely have a fun time anticipating all the action! John Brenner as Irving Bubbalowe and McKenna Pontoli as Honey Bubbalow play the perfect “straight man” across from all the quirky characters they encounter during this night of madness. They frantically try to keep up with all the obstacles thrown their way, while barely keeping their heads above water to prepare for their grand opening. Newcomer Adam Speers as Frank Plunkett is caught in the middle of the mess. He slips from one imposter to another, creating more confusion yet helping out all parties involved. Veterans to the Bobcat Stage, Casey Novak and Eric Armstrong, play kooky characters who have a unforgettable *ahem* intimate scene. Kevin McGuire and Andrew Mayle play the gangsters looking for their liquor, and nail the stereotypical “gangster.” Mayle is perfect as the sidekick and McGuire is a great--yet goofy--antagonist. Too Many Cooks is a well rounded traditional farce in every sense of the word. It has exciting moments from start to finish sprinkled with brief pauses. The audience should relish in these pauses before the engine revs up again for the next hilarious moment. This is a summer show you don’t want to miss!

Too Many Cooks runs July 20-21 and 26-28, with all performances beginning at 7:30 pm. General admission tickets are only $10 and can be purchased in person at the Hostess Gift Shoppe. Online orders can be placed at www.bobcatplayers.yapsody and are subject to a $.50 transaction fee per tickets. Reservations can be placed with our box office by calling (724) 494-1680. We can't wait to see you there!