Pioneer Playhouse zooms into the third play of its historic 77th season with Boeing Boeing, a high-flying farce, originally written in French by Marc Camoletti, and adapted into English by Beverly Cross. Boeing Boeing has been seen on Broadway many times, and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most performed French play in the English Language.
Boeing Boeing is set in a Paris flat, and centers around Bernard, played by Jonny Maldonado, who is juggling three different airline stewardess fiancées – all completely unaware of the others. Life gets bumpy for Bernard, first when his friend, Robert, played by Gates Smyth, visits from America, and then when unpredictable weather and a brand-new speedier Boeing jet complicate things even further. Soon all three stewardesses are back in town, and catastrophe looms.
“Boeing Boeing is a classic farce,” says Jennifer Goff, who directs Boeing Boeing. She is the Marlene & David Grissom Associate Professor of Theatre at Centre College. “It’s full of slamming doors and silly accents and lots of comic confusion – and even a couple of love stories mixed in for good measure! The hilarious cast are like a bunch of real-life cartoon characters. We can’t wait to share all the fun we’re having with the audience!”
Pioneer Playhouse has staged Boeing Boeing before – the first time soon after its debut on Broadway in the early 1970s.
“One of the stars of that production was a young actor named Jim Varney, who went on to develop the hugely popular ‘Hey, Vern’ commercials and the beloved Ernest Goes to Camp characters,” says Heather Henson, daughter of founder Eben C. Henson, and now Managing Director of Kentucky’s oldest outdoor theatre. “Jim spent several summers at the Playhouse, and my dad always said he was one of the most talented actors he’d ever worked with.”
Heather and her brother, Robby Henson, artistic director of Pioneer Playhouse, decided to bring the popular comedy back for its 77th season.
“It’s a fan favorite,” says Heather. “Definitely light-hearted and fun. The play may be about a guy trying to date three different women, but it quickly becomes obvious that the women really have the upper hand. The play is rated PG because of the subject matter and some innuendo, but honestly, it’s so silly and over-the-top, audiences of all ages will laugh at the sheer zaniness of what’s happening on stage.”
The three stewardesses in Boeing Boeing are played by Malayna Knapp (Gloria), Julie McNamara (Gabriella), and Lainie Plunkett (Gretchen), who will be familiar to play-goers this season. All three performed in both The Play That Goes Wrong and The Iron Baby Angel.
Also familiar to those who may have seen the last Boeing Boeing production in 2015: Patricia Hammond. She will once more portray Berthe, the French maid who tries to keep everything together in the Paris flat.
“Berthe is one of my all-time favorite roles,” says Hammond. “Berthe is funny and unflappable…until all the chaos drives her nearly over the edge.”
“It’s a fantastic company of actors this year,” says Henson. “They work so hard – getting a show up and running in two weeks, rehearsing for one show while performing a totally different one at night. They live on the grounds all summer, and we all become like family.”
Boeing Boeing will run from July 21 through August 8, Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm. A new dinner menu of Grilled Chicken or Beef Shish Kebab, Rice, Garlic Green Beans, Salad, and homemade dessert will be served only on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 7:00 pm. Tea and lemonade are free with dinner. A bar serving beer and wine, as well as a concession stand serving soda, candy, and ice cream, is open during the show.
Theater Under the Stars
