Theater: Five Course Love

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Five Course Love

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Before the play begins there is a warning for all those whose cellphones ring during the play. "There is a fiery pit where we will surely fling / All those theater patrons whose cell phones start to ring." How is that for a warning! And the tempo is carried throughout the play. With a story that is as ludicrous as it is funny and the cast and setting that only heighten the effect, Five Course Love has become the most talked about comedy of the year. The variety of the show is well summarized as "Five dates. Five restaurants. One chance at love. Five Course Love is a new musical that is equal parts comedy and music with heaping portions of that elusive search for love thrown in for good measure. Three actors portray fifteen characters whose amorous combinations are played out using an array of musical styles.'"

The comedy takes inspiration from classic sketch comedy of TV variety programs as Your Show of Shows and The Carol Burnett Show. Along with the great variety of situations and comedy types what one should watch out for is the music that varies according to the setting and the menu of the restaurant. Such is the standard of detailing in the play that it has a good dose of pop, country, western, German cabaret, doo-wop, Italianate opera, Motown and more. The concept behind the play is both elaborate and intriguing. The play has basically three actors who do multi-tasking and play 15 characters across five scenes that quickly follow each other in five different restaurants from around the world.

Each scene in the play is complemented by varied cuisines and music to match the food. The play is presented by the Geva Theater Center. Five Course Love first premiered there in 2004. The cast of the show is the main attraction and the core that holds the play together. They are an immensely talented group of actors who play the most varied characters with equal ease. There is Matt (John Bolton), Barbie (Heather Ayers) and Dean (Jeff Gurner) who play an astounding fifteen characters among themselves. They change costumes, put on accents and sing too all with finesse. Bolton is a professional of the first grade when it comes to comedy. Gurner on the other hand is a delectable fare in his five waiter characters.

It takes superb directorial effort to keep the different parts together. And that is done by Emma Griffin. G.W. Mercier is the accomplished designer of the most varied and colorful costumes and the sets. The superior quality of music that you get to hear at the show is thanks to the four-man band, right above the stage. Five Course Love is thus not just a comedy but a wholesome experience for all theatergoers.