This review was written by Lawrance Bernabo and originally appeared on February 1, 2019, in the Duluth News Tribune.
In Don’t Dress for Dinner, the French farce that returned to the NorShor stage Thursday night (1/31), Katy Helbacka makes two bold decisions as the director that could have thrown the production off the rails.
Fortunately, she booked a really good cook.
You may ask, does it matter that you did not see Boeing Boeing (a prequel to Don’t Dress For Dinner) or that you did but do not remember which stewardess was Jacqueline?
What matters in these comedies is who does not know what, and there are multiple things that multiple characters do not know.
(Wait, if Jacqueline was French in Boeing Boeing, then why is she speaking with an English accent this time?)
Because having most of the cast speak with English accents was Helbacka’s first bold decision. This made for several moments where the accents overwhelmed the dialogue, which is where the laughs should be. But Stroup and Kelly were both getting lots of laughs just with their vocal pyrotechnics.
READ THE FULL REVIEW
——-
Get Tickets To The Show!
- When: February 7-10, 2019
- Showtimes: Thursday-Saturday @ 7:30pm, Sunday @ 2pm
- Where: NorShor Theatre (211 E. Superior St., Duluth MN 55802)
- Tickets: Standard – $30-$40
- Dinner and a Show Package: $50-$65 *includes show tickets and dinner
- Learn more about the Dinner and a Show package here.
- Purchase: www.duluthplayhouse.org // www.norshortheatre.com // 218.733.7555 // In-person at the NorShor Theatre Box Office (M-F, Noon-6:00pm)
Robert (Jody Kujawa, left) and Bernard (Jason Scorich) get themselves in quite a pickle that puts these characters on a path to complete comic confusion. // Photo by Nicole Modeen Photography.
