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Groovin' and laughin' at Meadow Brook Theatre

It came as no surprise that after tallying the box office results for last season's "Boeing-Boeing" and basking in the glow of positive feedback from critics and customer alike, the powers-that-be at Meadow Brook Theatre scheduled another French farce by Marc Camoletti on the theater's 2010-11 schedule. And after attending the opening night performance, I suspect it won't be long before yet another of Camoletti's comedies storms the Meadow Brook stage.
And for good reason: "Ding Dong," now making its North American premiere at Meadow Brook, is pretty darn funny!
Technically not a sequel, "Ding Dong" is set in Paris in the 1970s and features three characters with the same first names as those in "Boeing-Boeing" – and in this particular production, played by the same actors – but given the job changes and the situation, they're apparently not the same people. (Actually, they're stock characters in many of Camoletti's plays.) So first-time attendees don't need to know anything about these characters or what went on in "Boeing-Boeing" to enjoy the show. Instead, all they need to do is sit back, relax and get ready to laugh. A lot.
The always-faithful Bernard (Christopher Howe), it seems, has made a startling discovery: His gorgeous wife, Jacqueline (Julianne Somers), is having an affair with a man named Robert (Steve Blackwood). So he surreptitiously sets up a meeting with Robert at his apartment to issue him an ultimatum: End the affair or suffer the consequences – that being death or allowing Bernard to have sex with Juliette (MaryJo Cuppone), Robert's always-faithful wife. It's a tit-for-tat payback, Bernard explains, although not in those exact words. (He calls it "a matter of honor.") So after much gnashing of teeth, Robert settles on option two – and then sets into motion pretty much what you'd expect in a well-crafted farce: countless comings and goings, cases of mistaken identity, spit takes, blackmail and plenty of ringing doorbells. (Hence, the title of the show). And don't forget the confused, sassy maid with plenty of attitude.
Logic-wise, of course, the plot makes little sense. But farces rarely do, which is the perfect prescription for a night when silly laughs are preferred over anything else. And that's just what director Travis W. Walter and his ensemble deliver on the Meadow Brook stage.
The cast is uniformly excellent. Howe, although not a physically threatening sort, commands an aura of power and authority that would surely convince someone in Robert's predicament to not take chances and choose the life-saving option over its more deadly companion. Blackwell's Robert – with facial expressions that need no words to explain the panic running through his every fiber – is Bernard's polar opposite: a weaselly man who will stop at nothing to come out of the situation unscathed – including hiring a hooker, Barbara (Janet Caine), to impersonate his wife.
The always-delightful Caine earns many of the show's biggest laughs working in tandem with Howe. The seduction scenes are superbly staged – and the shockingly unladylike poses Barbara strikes to catch Bernard's – and the audience's – attention brought the house down on opening night.
Both the lovely and talented Somers and Cuppone (who doesn't appear until the second act) add to the overall mayhem, but the audience favorite – based on comments overheard during intermission and after the performance – is Ruth Crawford as the put-upon maid, Marie-Louise. With the thickest French accent possible, Crawford serves a tasty bon mot with every brief entrance she makes. Few can play the eternally confused and exasperated servant as well as Crawford – and here she cooks up a near clean sweep. (The thick accent, coupled with a few very quick exits, resulted in some lost lines on opening night, however.)
All of the production's technical elements are up to the Meadow Brook's high standards. Brian Kessler's set – and in particular, the art work – cements the period firmly in the 1970s, while Reid G. Johnson's lights add a dash of character to the proceedings.
And speaking of the '70s, whatever you do, do NOT sneak out immediately after the lights go out at the conclusion of the performance. Otherwise, you'll miss one of the grooviest and most original curtain calls ever conceived – featuring yet another memorable entrance by Crawford!

REVIEW:
'Ding Dong'
: Meadow Brook Theatre, 2200 N. Squirrel Rd., Rochester. Wednesday-Sunday through April 10. $24-$39. 248-377-3300. http://www.mbtheatre.com

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